Pixel Pig Review

Pixel Pig by Smorpheus Games Laboratory is the kind of game you get when you combine Pachinko with, well... a pixelated pig. Though more accurately the end result is something not unlike Peggle, but with after-touch controls instead of aiming ahead of time.

Each round begins with your pig being flung out of a chute that moves around the screen. This gives you some level of control over how your runs start, but once you're on the board and bouncing around you can tilt and expel gas to continue bouncing for as long as possible. Fruit and other items provide point bonuses including multipliers for your final score, making them a high priority along with clearing out each peg. The last (and perhaps most important bonus) comes from your final landing, awarding a considerable amount of points depending on how you landed.

Much like Pachinko, Pixel Pig has an addictive quality that comes from the sense that you can control the fairly random events within the game. Upgrades earned via unlocked achievements can help considerably, giving you additional gas, a larger pig and so on, but achieving the first bronze medal of each level is still a real challenge. The overwhelming variety of levels and hyper-color designs can be hard to look at after an extended session, but it's hard to imagine this fast-paced title with anything more sedate.

While there's not a lot of depth to the gameplay in Pixel Pig, once you've started it doesn't take long before you find yourself pumping away at each new level just to get that next upgrade, level or medal; worth checking out.