Badland is a game that truly represents what mobile gaming has become. It’s fun, addicting, quirky and simple. While some games try to push the hardware of the latest phones, Badland tries to pack as much fun in to a small package as possible.
Keeping It Simple & Addicting
There have been very few games on the mobile platform that have sucked me in as much as Badland has. The game is a simple side scroller, where you have to take your character (a clone that looks like a mixture between a bear and Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) through a gauntlet of gears and saws trying to end its life and make it out alive. It’s that simple. You automatically start floating forward, the only control you have to do is tap or hold the screen to keep your clone up. Think of it as if you were trying to keep a balloon up and you hit it from the bottom to keep it afloat. It’s similar to that.
Just Enough Variety
There are a few more elements to the game, but it does a great job of gradually introducing them to you. You’ll eventually find power ups that will make you bigger, make you smaller, make you go faster, make you weigh more, ect. One of the cool bonuses that you can accomplish is getting more clones to the end of the level. You’ll come across a cluster ball of other clones. Once you make contact with these little guys they will attach on to you and follow you. This adds an interesting puzzle element when you come across some tricky obstacles. Even with these elements thrown in, Badland still manages to stay true to its simple formula.
Giddy As A Child
The simplicity of everything is what I admire the most about Badland. It takes me back to the days of being a kid and playing other side scrollers like Contra or Super Mario World. As soon as you pick up the game you immediately get what it is and how to play it. Even though it takes these retro elements, it is one of the most beautiful mobile games I have ever played. The statement “less is more” is easily applied here. Badland is a prime example that a game can still be super simple, and provide some extremely addicting gameplay. Go buy Badland in the Apple App Store. It is easily worth the $4 that you’ll pay for it.