Funky Smugglers Review

By , on October 16, 2012


Funky Smugglers
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Hilariously funky soundtrack; hard to get out of your head, so you may as well play one more round.
  • Simple concept on the outside, but provides a surprising amount of depth; from multi-touch to juggling, you'll be busy trying to get that combo up to its maximum.

CONS

  • Missions try to keep things fresh, but eventually the game is going to feel like a real job; reliant on unlocks to keep the game novel.

VERDICT

Funky Smugglers pulls double-duty as it not only places you in charge of dealing with contraband items, but it manages to smuggle in a boatload of refreshing ideas as well.


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Imagine you have to rush a bunch of Brazil-bound Coconut Jugglers through a terminal and on to their plane, only to find that they're harboring dozens of contraband items on their body. You'd be upset too, but thankfully in Funky Smugglers you can pluck those items out of their 'hiding spots' without a moment's hesitation, thwarting the efforts of those who would seek to breech the security of the airport.

You're given 'three' attempts at failing before your game is over in Funky Smugglers, but thankfully there are a few tricks you can employ on the passengers that casually walk by your x-ray scanner. While you could just throw away the red contraband items, collecting several at the same time before dropping them will give you 'combo' points. Unfortunately you can't hold on to the pile of items forever, so with a careful flick of the finger you can juggle the stash of items, earning a crazy amount of points in the process.

Feel like you're a bit of a security-check hero? Try juggling two piles with two different fingers for even more points.

The game simply oozes with style thanks to its Funk soundtrack, pairing wonderfully with the 70s-esque visual theme. Unlockables add to the aesthetic, either changing the theme of the items; the patterns and effects used in the game; and other temporary or permanent boosts including new passenger types and more 'chances' per round.

If anything works against Funky Smugglers it's that the challenge ramps up so smoothly that each round can take several minutes or more, making it hard to fit in a game at a moment's notice. At least your efforts are considerably rewarded, especially if you can complete missions for even more bonus coins.

Consider yourself a bit of a gambler? You can take part in a global 'multiplayer' effort for your share of bonuses each week.

Funky Smugglers is slick, fun, and fresh - everything you could want for your iDevice when you only have a few minutes spare.

Screenshots

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