Review: Hellkid: hook & jump - Plus Win Three Copies!

Update

Hellkid has received its first update, and with it has provided a whole new area. Now you can unlock the valley of bones which is an extreme hook mode. You need 40,000 blue souls to unlock the new mode, and once you do you face a level with virtually no ground level. Also included is a new character to play as which is, Astaroth, Devi's father, unlocked with 20,000 gold souls. The hellkid update is a nice improvement adding a challenging unlockable, and having some hooking only fun. It's one the best side scrolling endless game in the App Store, and still a should buy.

Overview

Hellkid: hook & jump is in the App Store, and after our sneak peek, it's time for the full review. It's a 2D side-scroller that is a mock-up of the gameplays of Hook Champ and Canabalt. Your character runs automatically, you tap to jump, and hold to hook. You play as Devi who wants to become human, and to do so needs to collect souls (red and orange flames). The souls are laid out in the different formations each time you play, and you need to bounce around to collect them, like you would to collect rings in classic sonic.

Features

Twelve levels are included, which are just checkpoints in what is like an endless type of game similar to Canabalt. Every checkpoint increases the speed of the game and the distances of each gap. Once you reach level six you unlock extreme mode which you can start from for a new game. Online high scores are included for both modes, plus there are 38 achievements. The game plays very similarly to Canabalt, but then there are gaps you need to hook across to reach the other side.

The Good

Hellkid is an enjoyable and addictive romp through hell. If you've ever played canabalt you know how addictive this type of game can be, and then it's amped up with the hooking ability over long jumps. On top of that there are souls to collect adding more tasks while accelerating forward. The pattern of souls is always different, and as you progress if you try to collect all the souls it will lead you to falling in a gap. You have to be cautious as gaps come upon you suddenly, and then you will need to tap and hold to hook. While hooking, depending on when you initiate the hook changes the arc of the swing which you use to collect souls over the gap. One nice feature is the smooth present day graphics unlike the classic 8 and 16 bit graphics of Hook Champ and Canabalt. The backgrounds are in motion with exploding volcanoes and the likes, as you're collecting souls and hooking in the foreground. When finishing a hook devi tumbles out of it which is a funny animation. If the game isn't addictive enough, which I think it is, there are online high scores and achievements giving you plenty more to strive for. This has the potential to be the newest addictive sensation in the App Store. Having an extreme mode really helps the game allowing you to jump right back in the thick of the action rather than starting at the slow beginning.

The Bad

As you're accelerating along, it seems that tapping and holding to hook requires a very precise reaction, and you will lose a few times because of this fact. Also there just doesn't seem to be enough hooking in the game. It's more canabalt than hook champ. As addictive as it is, once you play one time through you've mastered all the mechanics of a relatively simplistic game. The same can be said for canabalt and similar games too though.

The Verdict

Hellkid is a great idea that is executed very well on the idevice. It's perfect to combine the best aspects of Canabalt and Hook Champ in a new fun and engaging game. It's even more addicting than the two games it shares qualities with, and that's definitely saying something. For a mere $0.99 this is a should buy, but like all similar games it's too simplistic to be rated higher.

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