If You Feel The Rhythm, Do The Cosmic Bump
Cosmic Bump ($0.99) by Chillingo Ltd is a physics-based puzzle challenge that combines ball drop games, pinball, and a few other arcade actions. Shoot, bounce, and flick these aliens to safety in this otherworldly adventure.
Players are tasked with helping doe-eyed squishy beings from another planet get enough energy to get their spaceship up and running again. To collect energy, players shoot an alien out of a slingshot-type launcher and guide them through a vertical obstacle course.
Once you’ve shot the alien out of the launcher, he will either bounce off of walls and platforms, collecting energy bubbles, or end up in another launcher above that will drop him downward. Again, physics will bounce the alien around the course while he collects the energy and eventually falls back to the ground.
The course is made up of various slanted platforms, bouncy walls, and other fun stuff. Many levels include pinball flippers so that you can keep the alien rolling around on the screen, picking up more energy.
If you manage to collect all energy bubbles, you will progress to the next level. If you miss one, and your alien splats to the ground, you can try again with a second victim. Players get three tries to pick up all the energy bubble on the course. Each loss of an alien equals the loss of a star, so try to keep them all alive.
Sometimes, an alien will be headed for a splatter fest, but will be rescued by a couple of helpful bugs that are walking by with a safety net. If that happens, you don’t lose an alien and you don’t lose a star.
Stars are used to unlock new worlds. There are six different worlds, each one with a different theme. For example, there is a Lollipop planet, a Metal planet, and an Ocean planet. Each world has 15 levels to beat. The challenges get progressively more difficult.
The levels are fairly easy to beat. You may not get it right on the first try, but eventually, you’ll know which angle to shoot the alien in order to get all of the energy in one shot. None of the levels are ever so hard that you can’t get at least two stars. In fact, if I had any complaints about this game it would be that the puzzles are too easy to beat.
Overall, this game is full of adventure and action. It includes a great combination of different arcade classics, while still testing your physics-based puzzle skills. The price is remarkably cheap for a game that is so well made. If you are a fan of ball drop games, pinball games, and puzzle games, then you are in for a treat.
