Juggle! Review

By , on June 25, 2010


Juggle: Retro Arcade
  • Publisher: Denki
  • Genre: Sports
  • Released: 19 Jun, 2010
  • Size: 30.4 MB
  • Price: FREE!
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Pong/Arcanoid gameplay reborn.
  • Classy modern-retro design.
  • Echoing harmonic sounds that lull you in to a trance.

CONS

  • Difficulty levels or challenges could easily replace time limits.

VERDICT

There's little to fault in the execution of Juggle! as the simple gameplay is accentuated by its simple, soft designs and is definitely a game you could go back to time and again.


  • Full Review
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It's been shown time and again, but sometimes the simplest of ideas can be the most powerful. Juggle! by Denki has stripped back the old brick-and-paddle gameplay (think Arcanoid) to it's basic level, bouncing objects - often many at a time - off a tiny moveable paddle.

Juggle! is played in a vertical orientation, with a relatively small paddle that quickly moves across the bottom of the screen at the lightest touch. At first this feels excessive and awkward, but additional balls continue to spawn and progressively become smaller with each hit, so having a highly responsive control definitely helps. The longer you can keep juggling a ball or three or six, the higher you'll be able to push up your score. There are 3 minute, 5 minute and endless modes to play, each with their separate scoreboard on OpenFeint, but these act more like a time limit as the only way to fail is to drop every ball on screen.

It's easy to enter a zen-like trance as soft harmonic tones ring out each time you hit a ball, increasing in pitch and echoing softly as they rebound off the walls. iTunes is supported, but almost ruins the overall effect. The visuals are toned down, with a modern neon-blue glow accentuated with scan-lines and classic Pong style text.

Juggle! is just perfect for pulling out when you have a spare moment and would easily suit gamers after a simple stress-free experience or hardcore score-hunters after their latest chart-topping goal. Definitely worth adding to anyone's collection.

Screenshots

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