Reviewed: October 9, 2010
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Chillingo

Developer
Traplight Games

Released: September 9, 2010
Genre: Action
Players: 1

7
7
6
6
6.8

Game Info:

  • 43.8 MB Download
  • Crystalized

    App Store Price: $1.99

    		•  Growing up to become a superhero ranked right up their with astronaut and fireman on the job career list when we were all in elementary school, but barring any extraterrestrial origins or mutant spider bites or toxic spills, chances are those dreams slipped away. Now The Hero lets you live out the superhero fantasy in this fun and clever HD enhanced version for your iPad.

    Not only are the graphics better than the original iPhone version, the controls have seen some remarkable improvements, both in design and the simple fact you have more screen area to work with. Not that the game is that hard to begin with. You play The Hero, who looks remarkably like Mr. Incredible, as you fly around town fighting crime and high-fiving the public to increase your fame. But the public can be fickle, and when you fail to stop the bad guys or let innocents get hurt they will turn against you.

    The levels are simple and the action-oriented puzzles are challenging as you fly around defusing bombs or foiling bank robbers or saving a baby that fell out a window. Controls are simple with a virtual D-pad that controls the Hero and icons to invoke various superpowers like a burst of speed. The iPad has an exclusive single-finger flight control or you can go with the classic accelerometer controls.

    There are more than a dozen levels in The Hero but very little story to tie them together. You get your missions and updates from the Police Chief and his sexy secretary, Miss Rose. Things start off simple and then quickly ramp up as Dr. Hubbub unleashes his evil plot. You also have an unlockable survival mode and mini-games to keep you busy after the main game is over. As always, there is Crystal support for leaderboards and achievements to keep you coming back.

    The levels are simple in design yet nicely detailed with colorful comic charm and plenty of fun animations and effects. The music is just as much fun and fits with the theme of the game and the onscreen action. Combined, it’s like a comic book come to life or an interactive Saturday morning cartoon.

    Ironically, I wasn’t all that impressed during my first 15-20 minutes of playing The Hero, but now it is one of my favorite iPad games. With short levels and easy pick-up-and-play design I can become a hero whenever the mood strikes, and with this game, that seems to be quite often. It’s definitely worth an addition to your iPad game collection.