Captain Antarctica Review

By , on July 5, 2012


Captain Antarctica
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Charmingly catchy music and cute visuals; keeps you in a cheery mood.
  • Pick-up and play style; rewards perfection without penalizing those of lower skill levels.
  • Plenty of unlockable 'jetpacks' to give you some replay incentive.

CONS

  • Endless mode not yet available.

VERDICT

Captain Antarctica is an up-beat casual title that plays with common 'endless' concepts and gives it a level-based treatment instead; while not as addictive, you'll come back for more just to hear it's catchy tune again.


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Taking the name at face-value, I had no idea what to expect from FDG Entertainment's latest acquisition, Captain Antarctica. A shield-slinging polar bear did flash across my mind momentarily, but the reality was just as amusing and if you'll forgive me for saying so, incredibly cute too.

There are villainous foes to defeat in the depths of the sea and it's your job as an avenging penguin to strap on a rocket, eat as many fish as you can to power it up and turn yourself in to a living projectile as you collide in to them at the end of the stage. Not only are the fish fuel, but they're also a currency used to upgrade your rocket, power-ups and purchase additional gadgets to make subsequent stages easier to complete.

Your penguin careens down the screen and is controlled by tilting back and forth - no other input is required, so it's an easy game to pick up. Each stage features a series of hazards, be they mechanized sea-life, bombs or the level itself, though secret passage ways, and power-ups can help to make life easier. Initially you'll only have two chances to take damage, but fish can be spent on more 'hearts', giving you more of a chance to survive till the end of the level.

Strangely, the game lacks the expected 'endless' variation common to games of this style, though it is teased after the final level. For now you have six wonderfully cartoony level to explore and a background tune that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head after the very first level.

Captain Antartica is a short, but wonderfully addictive casual title that's perfect for younger audiences and those young at heart after a cute distraction.

Screenshots

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