Doodle Army [rating: 3.5/5]
Stick figures seem to have had a renascence in recent years esp. in the App Store where there has been a positive stampede of stick figure related games. From Cartoon Wars, Stick-Fu and Stick Wars to Stick Brawler, RunStickRun and StickWars Ultimate Challenge there is something for stick figure fans everywhere. The latest one joining the flood of stick figure games is Doodle Army from Chad Towns which see’s you in the role of a new army recruit with the task of single-handedly defeating the onslaught of enemy soldiers.
The game is a 2D sideways scroller and after a useful tutorial where a Drill Sergent takes you through your paces you start on the first of four battle zones. You’ll start at Boot Camp, across the Paddy Field, through the Beach Bunker and over the Sand Dune before you’ll complete the game and with each level proving quite a challenge it could be a while before you complete the game.
There are two control methods to choose from a thumb dial method where moving your thumb around a dial positioned in the bottom right corner of the screen will control your gun fire or the finger fire method where touching the screen will aim your weapon. Which ever method you choose, my personal choice is the finger fire method, the control to move your stick figure are the same with 4 buttons place along the bottom of the screen allowing you to move left and right, crouch and jump. Why the tried and trusted standard d-pad format hasn’t been utilized I don’t know and due to the controls being spread out across the screen it can be difficult to get accurate control of your character especially in the heat of battle.
The aim for each level is to complete, or should that be survive, 1000 meters of violent gun fire where the motto should be ‘kill or be killed’. There is a check point every 100 meters but even that can be a challenge at first and you will probably find your self being killed multiple times. Killing the bad guys will provide you with a purple heart to replenish your health and ensuring that you pick up all of the hearts that are available is vital to your fight for survival.
There are currently 25 weapons to use although some of them are only available on certain levels which each of them providing a different way to blow stick limb from stick limb. Just as important as picking up the purple hearts is picking up the weapons that the bad guys drop as they are shot to smithereens as these act as replenishments to your dwindling supply of ammunition.
While the blood effects can be turned off the most fun to be had is with them turned on as your screen gets covered in blood splatters as the killing spree intensifies. While the overall graphics are simple they are also effective, from the animations of the sick figures themselves to the landscapes and obstacles that provide both cover for you and your enemies they all work will together providing an enjoyable thrill ride full of stick blood and stick guts!
For a single player this is a fun game and should provide quite a challenge too, however the lack of any local or online multi-player mode or high score boards means that while Doodle Army is fun it may lack the longevity of other titles.
The Good
The Not So Good
Reviewed by: Craig Willis
Doodle Army iPhone/iPod touch
Price: $.99 (iTunes Store) as of 26 Jan
Reviewed Version: 1.0.1
Size: 7.0 MB
Seller: Chad Towns