Kami Retro HD Review

Written by Administrator Sunday, 10 July 2011 05:00

Kami Retro HD, the iPad-only version of Kami Retro is available on the iPhone and is a unique and compulsively addictive puzzle platformer, which takes great controls, a fresh premise, and whimsical visuals to create a game that is a must play for all iPad owners. In a market so heavily saturated with games as is the Apple App store, it takes a lot to grab my attention enough to truly make me get excited. This is such a game.

The game begins as a simple platformer, perfectly tailored for touch controls. Your character is constantly moving forward, and it’s up to you to change his direction by swiping left or right over him, or to make him jump by swiping up and left or up and right. As you near the end of the level, another Kami will spawn from a portal and you then guide him to the end too. When all is said and done, you’ll have helped (or tried to have helped, at least) four characters through each level, which begins easy enough, but becomes more difficult over time as obstacles become more complex and overlap while controlling multiple characters increases. It’s very simple, and works without any sort of lag or delay of any kind. The controls are flawless.

This alone would have made the game a fun and different experience that sets itself apart from other iOS games, but within only a few levels, the game changes to include puzzle elements requiring the player to best use parts such as springs, fans, switches, and cannons, to reach the end of each level. Springs launch your character into the air, fans blow them to the left or right, switches temporarily take down obstacles, and cannons launch him across the screen. The puzzle challenge comes in when determining how best to use available items, and to maintain a certain level of automation so that you can pay attention to multiple characters, all while jumping over gaps, avoiding water hazards, and dodging projectiles. It may sound a little complex at first, but the game slowly introduces each mechanic with a handy tutorial video throughout the course of your adventure.

Points are earned by successfully guiding characters to the end of the level, collecting stars along the way, and doing so quickly. You’ll be awarded one to three stars depending on how well you do, and this is where the greatest level of replayability comes in. If you’re one of those players who isn’t satisfied by anything less than perfect, you’ll come back to each level over and over again, trying to beat your score, earn achievements, and to better your position in Game Center’s leaderboards.

Retro is definitely a word that comes to mind due to the game being a classical platformer as well as having an aesthetic style from yesteryear that’s been updated for today’s tech. Both characters and the environment look like they were constructed from simple 3D blocks, but have enough animation and character to make them have a style all their own.

With tons of levels, unlockables, and a great ramp in difficulty, Kami Retro HD is a perfect choice for the gamer looking for something with a little more depth than the average iPad game, yet with a style of play that is perfectly conducive to short bursts or lengthy marathons of play. For only a few bucks, you’d be silly not to give this game a shot.

Kami Retro HD can be found on the Apple App Store at this link.