CGRundertow AIR MAIL for iPhone Video Game Review

Prior to this, I had played two games from N-Fusion Interactive. Those games are Martian
Panic and Dino Strike. They’re both Wii titles, they’re both on-rails shooters,
they both have fun reviews here on CGRundertow and...I had completely forgotten about both
of them.
So when I started Air Mail and got all excited by the lovely art deco font on its title screen,
I had to stop myself. I had to say, “Whoa, Derek! Don’t get too excited. The other
two kinda sucked.” And then I heard the music, and I said, “Derek, man...I’m telling
you. It’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s all going to nosedive in a minute.”
Then it didn’t.
And I had to say, “Alright, Derek. You were right. As always.”
Turns out...holy crap, Air Mail is a genuinely awesome game. It’s not only one of the coolest
flight games I’ve ever played on a handheld thing, it’s one of the coolest flight games
I’ve ever played on anything. It doesn’t do anything all that original, but it’s
so ridiculously fun and polished and charming and beautiful...it doesn’t matter.
Air Mail is just casual gaming heaven.
Nintendo fans, in particular, should take note. Air Mail is like Pilotwings with more
focused objectives. Playing as a little kid with a surprising skill for piloting, the
game takes place on a picturesque island where people rely on pilots to deliver mail, fish,
basically everything they require to live. And each flight mission involves a similar
objective...you’re not shooting anything or dropping bombs.
You’re dropping mail. And it’s freaking awesome.
The game has three control methods to choose from. You can use tilt...my views on which
have been well-documented and are far too negative for repetition. We went with touch
controls, which gives you two virtual joysticks and works just fine. There’s also an advanced
mode that combines the two and lets you do advanced maneuvers.
But where the game really impresses is its presentation. Air Mail looks absolutely stunning
at times. From the bustling villages to the lush hillsides and those endless stretches
of ocean, the environments are remarkably rich. They’re colorful, they’re detailed...the
sky, in particular, is just gorgeous.
N-Fusion clearly put a lot into this game, and it really paid off.
If you like Pilotwings, you’ll love Air Mail. If you would like Pilotwings if it had
more concrete objectives, you’ll love Air Mail. Hell, if you just like any rich, relaxing
video games, you will love Air Mail. It’s an App Store winner and an iOS gem.