Review: Dizzypad - New Standard in Casual Gaming?
by Staff Writer
February 25, 2010
Overview
Nimblebit has released a new game, and if that doesn’t mean anything to you, then you must not like good games. Dizzypad is their newest creation which pits you as a frog, and your goal is to jump from lily pad to lily pad as far as you can in a moonlit pond. The lily pads rotate, and there is a little white arrow that shows your jump direction.
You tap when the white arrow lines up with the next lily pad, and you’re on your way. You begin with three lives (flowers), but you can earn more by skipping a lily pad on a jump. As you progress the lily pads become smaller, and fewer in number.
Features
Not the most feature rich game, but it has quite a few good ones. The biggest thing is that there is Plus+ for online high scores and achievements. There are four high score tables, for single run points and total points as well as single run flowers, and total run flowers.
15 achievements are also included, and each one is tied to unlockable frog skins. Once you earn an award, a new frog appears in your collection, and you can customize the frog with that skin for your next run.
The Good
Nimblebit seems to have the simple casual game down pat. Nimblebit describes Dizzypad as a cross between Doodle Jump and Koi Pond, but quite frankly it’s much better than both. The game is instantly accessible to anyone, and can not only be played anywhere anytime, but enjoyed also.
Rather than having hectic time constraints, or frustrating gameplay, Dizzypad gives you laid back enjoyment. Stay calm, and be patient to watch the rotation of your frog, and time your tap to reach the next pad. The ability to skip pads, and earn lives is a wonderful mechanic that provides a whole new challenge to the game.
Every game plays different as the pads are spawned randomly. Then it’s always neat to chose a new colored frog to go at the pads again. It’s just so simple and sweet. The more I played the more I liked it rather than the usual diminishing returns. The included save system picks up right where you left off too.
The game is an absolute beauty to look at. The production values are some of the finest in the App Store, and it’s as you would expect from Nimblebit. The water beneath the lily pads seems like it’s straight out of the Koi Pond app with koi swimming randomly beneath you, the water swaying slightly, and the ornate rock floor.
Dizzypad has that special blend where you can sit back, get lost in the game, and play not noticing the time flying by. It’s so addictive and enjoyable with a “one more mentality” to the max. That is intrinsic replayability that games either have or don’t, but on top of that Plus+ is included with four tables to strive for, and fifteen attainable, but challenging achievements.
The frog jumping animation is well done, and each frog skin, and even lily pad is very finely detailed. When you land on a new pad waves fan out from it, and as you’re jumping dragonflys randomly appear and hover around.
The soundtrack fits with the theme so perfectly that it makes you feel calm and relaxed, like down at a local fishing hole even if you’ve never been to one before. You’re instantly transported by the entire package Nimblebit provides. Your frog ribbits deeply on every jump, and there is a light chorus of frog croaks in the background.
