Snow Roll
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Release Date: March 17^th, 2015
Developers: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]
Publishers: Apple Inc.
Platforms: iOS
Genre: Arcade, Retro
Players: 1
Rating: 9.5/10

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Synopsis

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Theres something wonderfully freeing yet restricting about this ages-old [chess bishop movement] mechanic, which has been adapted into a diabolically hard iOS game called Snow Roll - Josh Lowensohn, The Verge

The 8-bit graphics and the limited storyline make it a good way to pass the time - Alexander Aciman, TIME

Guide little penguin on his roll through snowy woods, tap to change direction and avoid obstacles, collect coins to unlock new balls and roll as far as you can.

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Gameplay

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This is a retro arcade game made to feel like a game made tens of years ago. It is a game similar to many other, such as Subway Surfers and ZKS (Zombie Killer Squad) where you have three lanes you can run in and you must switch between them to avoid obstacles and pick up certain items. This game is a simplified version of those games, it is made to look old fashioned but it also is in the game itself. You control a penguin that is running forward on a snowball, although you can unlock different balls that give you no bonuses or abilities, but look nice and are collectables. Throughout the game you can collect coins which will add to your total, and you can use those coins to play a game which has you select one of three cups, two have some coins (nowhere near the amount that you pay to play) and one has a new ball in it for you to use in-game. Every 30 minutes you will also get a free gift which is a random amount of coins, this helps toward the game to get a new ball. The only other item in game is a purple gem, if you collect this you will be invulnerable to obstacles for a short period of time, almost like a shield. Hitting obstacles will greatly reduce the remaining time of the shield so you must still be as careful as possible. Overall I really enjoy this game as it has a fun, relaxing atmosphere along with the classic arcade game feel.

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Graphics

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The graphics in this game are very retro themed, the designer has made this clear by using distinct, blocky, pixels for everything in this game. You can see the edges on everything which makes it clear, this theme looks very nice and appeals to most people. The coin items in the game are also 2D, but they have a 2D spin and a simple, but detailed shadow when you see them in game, the same goes for the purple gems. There are other small detail in the game which are appealing and add to the game as a whole, an example is when you crash into one of the many obstacles, there are moving bears that when crashed into, will lose you the level but instead of seeing a cracked snowball where you crashed, you see a frozen bear standing upright. Another thing is depending on the direction you were travelling, left or right, when you crashed, the snowball will be angled differently. Small things like this make the aesthetics of the game better as a whole.

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Audio

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The audio in this game is one of the things that really stands out and is very nice about the game. No matter where you are in the app, there is always a catchy, Christmassy song in the background that really cheers the whole game up. There are also sound effects in the game that contribute to the atmosphere when playing the game, there are many, many little sounds in the game that all coexist and work together to make the audio in this game complete. Every time you move left or right, a quirky sound plays which lets you know that youve moved, this can be a bit repetitive as you move a lot in the game, but it is not really a problem. The other major sound effects are when you pick up coins and purple gems. Picking up coins plays a simple chinging sound that anyone would associate with picking up money. When you get a purple gem it plays a sound that is recognizable as a power-up, a short, muffled tune that gets higher in pitch. Overall I really like the audio in this game, I think it pairs really well with the retro style of the game and overall makes it a very nice, cheerful game to play.

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Controls

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The controls in this game arent so difficult to use, but are quite repetitive as you are constantly changing direction to avoid obstacles, or to move to a certain spot. The only control is to tap on the screen to change direction. Some people like to use two fingers or thumbs, as tapping with the right co-ordination will move in the direction that a certain finger is placed. This can be awkward sometimes if you have to tap rapidly as you could lose control, so some other players including myself like to use one finger as you dont have to focus on which finger to tap to try and co-ordinate the ball, but rather just tapping it will give you the desired outcome. I quite like the controls of this game, they are easy at some points but have to be used very carefully at others to avoid losing.

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Rating

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Gameplay - 10/10
Graphics - 9/10
Audio - 9/10
Controls - 9/10
Overall - 9/10