Tower Blocks – Review
By App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: NextPerformance
Version #: 1.0.0
Date Released: 2010-02-12
Developer:
Price: 0.00
User Rating:
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Long before I had an iPhone, one of the games that I really liked playing on my old Java-enabled mobile phone was the tower-building game called Tower Bloxx. The goal of that game was to build as many towers as you can by stacking blocks that were dropped from a crane. Very recently, I stumbled upon a game being offered for free for a limited time only in the App Store, and its name struck me as oddly familiar: TowerBlocks. Curious as to why it was very similarly named as my beloved Java game of old, I took a peek and realized that the naming was not a mere coincidence. TowerBlocks is in fact another game that involves building towers by stacking blocks being dropped from a crane. And in addition to its being an iPhone game, I discovered that it’s also a popular game on the Facebook platform, not unlike Tower Bloxx, which is also a widely played Facebook and online game. Now this begs the inevitable question: Regardless of which one came first, which tower-building iPhone game is better?
As of this writing, I have yet to try Tower Bloxx on the iPhone, so I’m just going to judge TowerBlocks according to its merits alone. As mentioned, TowerBlocks demands that you stack blocks, one on top of another, in order to build a tower or a skyscraper. The blocks, one by one, are carried by a crane, which swings like a pendulum above the ground. Your job is to tap on the screen at the exact same time when a block is directly above the previous block, so that once it’s dropped the two are perfectly aligned. And this applies to all succeeding blocks. It’s okay if you don’t manage to drop a block precisely so long as it doesn’t topple over and fall to the ground, since you are allowed a maximum of only three missed blocks before the game is over. Perfectly aligned block pairs, though, are awarded bonus points, so you might want to aim for those if you want to publish your towering scores on Facebook.
Upon launch of the game you will be asked whether you want to enable Facebook Connect for sharing of scores. After that you may already play or take a look at the current high scores or adjust the game parameters. I have an issue with the parameters section of this game. I was expecting to see a set of options to adjust various gameplay elements, but all that’s in there is an option to enable or disable sound. Now why call it "Parameters" if there’s only one parameter to work with?
Putting that minor concern aside, the game itself is pretty straightforward and the design of the game environment (which consists of the blocks and the crane in the foreground and the city skyline in the background) is good, but far from spectacular. The game also alternately follows and defies certain principles of physics. For example, the swinging of the crane and the behavior of the attached block is believable, as far as gravity and tensile stress are concerned, but once the block is released it just goes straight down as though it were not dropped from a swinging crane.
Tapping is the sole control used in this game, as a tap anywhere on the screen releases the block currently attached to the crane. It’s that simple. You just have to tap at the right moment in order to keep the blocks aligned and avoid throwing the blocks overboard, so to speak. The game ends as soon as you miss a block for the third time and you’ll be prompted to enter your name if you reached a new high score. I noticed, though, that even after I’ve entered my name after reaching a high score the game is not able to remember this and prompts me again the next time I get a new high score. Same goes with the instructions page before the beginning of a game. It is displayed every time I start a new game, and it could become rather annoying over time.
All in all, the game is very simple, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. It’s also not very difficult. All it takes is to get used to the movements of the cranes and the blocks and you’re on your way to building the tallest skyscraper in town.
Quick Take
Value:Low.
Would I Buy Again:Yes.
Learning Curve:Very Simple To Learn.
Who Is It For:Anyone who likes stacking games.
What I Like:Simple Gameplay.
What I Don't Like:Unrealistic application of gravitational and tensile physics on the attached blocks. Persistent instructions page and high score prompt.
Final Statement:While not a towering success, TowerBlocks provides simple pick-up-and-play fun.
