Lab Asylum Has More Nuts Than A Subway Station
Lab Asylum - Run and Escape! ($0.99) by PogiPlay, Inc. sees if you can help a punkish squirrel escape from a scientific facility (although with all of the buzz saws, lasers, and toxic spills around, it’s more like a mad scientist’s facility).
Our squirrel buddy breaks free in the same style as jetpack wearing everyman Barry Steakfries at the start of the game. Unlike, Barry though, this squirrel has a couple of extra moves.
The obvious control available is tapping the screen to jump. Tap it a second time to do a double jump. You can also swipe to perform a dash. This is where things get interesting. Not only can you zip ahead, but you can also do a double dash, as well as dashing while in a jump.
You can even use the dash to move to the left of the screen. This actually came in handy for me, as it gave me a little more reaction time by hanging out on the far left (of course it also makes it easier to get caught behind a crate as the screen moves, if you’re not careful).
Unfortunately, providing two different gesture controls also complicates this game. I spent a good deal of times dying before figuring out a way to control the squirrel. I eventually settled on left thumb for jumping and right for dashing (this was on the iPad).
Even if you find a combination that works for you, there is still the matter of trying to determine which one to use as you come upon the many varied obstacles.
Perhaps the most interesting obstacle is a robot that chases you. A red arrow pointing to the left of the screen indicates when Mr. Roboto is approaching. You’ll need a combination of jumping and doubling back in order to avoid him.
Acorns are available for nabbing as you run. You can cash them in at the store to buy crazy costumes, such as in Blot.
This game definitely adds a challenging twist by including the dash ability. It draws some similarities to Jetpack Joyride, but the only Mr. Cuddles in this game is a squirrel.
