Rocket Car review

Rocket Car is an aptly titled, all-consuming iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad game that consists of a car that shoots rockets at targets. I’ve been waiting for a game like this to come along; it’s both uncomplicated and challenging, which is a hard combination to come by. The graphics are intentionally wobbly and one-dimensional-characteristic of grade school doodling. Although this game is retro and reminds me of something you may find in an old arcade, it’s creative and most of all fun.

The game layout is refreshingly simple, when you open up the app you are prompted to choose easy, normal, or hard as well as the option to immediately mute the game, which I was grateful for because the music is jarring, unsettling and ill fitting. Once you open Rocket Car, a bumbling car putters along a graph paper background, while you are given targets to shoot with the car’s rocket supply. You achieve this by sliding your finger in the direction you want the rocket to hit the targets.

The targets in this game are red, orange, and green striped rainbow-like objects. If you are lucky enough to hit the tiny red portion of the target you are given 500 points, the rest of the colors range from mustard yellow giving 300, orange with 200, and green giving a measly 100. Just like in throwing darts at a dartboard, the color giving the lowest amount of points (green) takes up most of the target and borders the color giving the most points (red). You have control over how far you shoot the rocket by how much effort you put into sliding your finger.

Naturally, the only difference between easy, normal, and hard is the amount of points you need to advance to the next level. As you go through the levels, different obstacles get in the way of your ability to shoot the targets, like the car tumbling off of cliffs or a brick blockade you have to shoot through, all of which test your shooting skills.

It is impossibly difficult to advance, which is why I’m hooked. I have been playing for an entire week and I’ve only gotten as far as level 5 in easy mode. It will take me some time to work my way up, which is why it is completely worth $0.99: This game will be keeping me entertained for weeks.

Here is a video demo of the Rocket Car app on the iPhone

AppSafari Rating: 4/5

AppSafari review of Rocket Car was written by Vanessa Paszterko on June 16th, 2010 and categorized under App Store, First Person Shooter, Fun, Games, Physics Based. Page viewed 6817 times, 1 so far today. Need help on using these apps? Please read the Help Page.