Well, holy crap, this is the best game I’ve played all week. This is Arcade Jumper for
the iPhone.
My heart’s about to jump out of my chest. This is unbelievable.
Released to the App Store back in 2011, Arcade Jumper was created by Black Hive Media...and
I feel like I’d get along with those guys, because this whole freaking game is just a
ceremonial praising of gaming’s godfathers. You control Eddie, who looks like Mega Man,
on a quest to save his brother...who has been sucked into an arcade.
You’re jumping from one game to the next, each inspired by another classic—Space Invaders,
Donkey Kong, Mario, the list goes on—as you platform, shoot the bad guys and collect
shiny coins and delicious fruit.
Why? Because that’s how we rolled back in ’89.
As awesome as all the retro references are, the thing that makes Arcade Jumper so good
is its razor sharp gameplay. Every developer who wants to make a platformer for the iPhone
should have to play Arcade Jumper first. The weight, the momentum, the mechanics...they’re
just perfect.
Fortunately, the controls are up to the task, too. They’re pretend buttons, but they’re
actually pretty good. They’re big enough and close enough that they come as close to
feeling like actual buttons without actual buttons. Once you get used to them, you’ll
have no problem platforming through these levels.
And if you have one, the game also supports the iCade.
But one of the coolest features in Arcade Jumper is something called Kamcord. It’s
actually built into the game, and it basically records your gameplay and allows you to share
it on your social networks. The impressive thing is how seamless and fast the whole thing
is. I mean, it gives you the option, you tweet it out and it uploads in the background.
There’s a lot to like about this game, but the fact that it plays so sharp is really
its primary selling point. And as of right now, Arcade Jumper is a free download, which
pretty much seals the deal—get this game. If you grew up with an NES, Arcade Jumper
is like your childhood in footnotes.
