iPhone App Reviews

Once I got my mitts on it, I simply couldn’t not review Flight Control from Australian developer Firemint.  In the vein of Sneezies, this game has a wicked simplicity to it that belies a truly mind-crushing challenge and a hook that could snag Shamu.  It’s like a friggin’ bag of potato chips, you simply cannot play it ‘just once’.  The premise and game mechanics couldn’t be simpler.  You’re an ATC and the playfield contains 3 color-coded runways.  4 unique aircraft of varying speed appear randomly and with ever-increasing frequency from all around the border of the screen (you’re always warned first with a little icon as to where the next one is coming from).  You need to guide each aircraft to the appropriate colored runway for a smooth landing and a point (for you math majors 4 doesn’t go into 3 so yep, 2 of the aircraft are the same color).  You do this line rider-style by touching the aircraft icon and dragging a visible path onscreen.  The craft will follow the path no matter how crazy you draw it and if it leads to the runway good for you but otherwise it will continue in the last direction you drew until you give it another path or it crashes with another craft.  You can’t just draw unlimited-length paths but there’s plenty of leeway to get creative and strategize.   As you might imagine, just like real life if you allow a crash it’s game over.  That’s it; told you it was simple.  2 things to comment on; first the production values.  The first thing I thought of when I loaded this game was the movie ‘Catch Me If You Can’ which had as it’s backdrop the Golden Age of consumer aviation when Pan Am ruled the skies and pilots were rock stars.  The art style and music are absolutely awesome and bring back the feeling of a time when soda fountains, drive-in’s and sock hops were hip.  Second thing is this game is just crazy addictive; a shining example of superior game design over bells and whistles.  When this thing ramps up and you have 15 craft buzzing around the screen at once, you’ll be lucky to keep your head from popping right off your neck.