Demolition Dash Free Review

By , on May 31, 2011


Demolition Dash Free
  • Publisher: dreamfab
  • Genre: Arcade
  • Released: 26 May, 2011
  • Size: 64.9 MB
  • Price: FREE!
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • Gorgeous visual style; detailed digital painting backgrounds and destructable environments.
  • Challenging objectives for some replay value.
  • Easy to pick up and play; tap one side to jump, the other to attack.

CONS

  • Aesthetics conflict with gameplay; moving too fast (forward momentum and jumping) makes it hard to concentrate.
  • Police remain universally the same; odd choice despite the world-wide theme.
  • Bonus codes require handing over Facebook information to advertising partners for 'store coupons'.

VERDICT

Demolition Dash reduces the whole 'monster on a rampage' idea down to the street level, giving the game a cute, if somewhat insubstantial, charm.


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Sometimes it's easy to pre-judge and potentially dismiss a game just because it doesn't 'look good', but there's an evil flip-side to this kind of thinking that results in 'style over substance'. Demolition Dash by dreamfab is a visually impressive title that packages the basic gameplay of an endless platformer with visual flair, but it all feels skin deep.

Now and then gamers get the opportunity to wreak havoc in a city ala Godzilla, but in Demolition Dash things are scaled back - a lot. 'Zilla' is a happy-go-lucky monster on a somewhat casual stroll around the world and despite his diminuative size, he packs a big punch as he ploughs through vehicles and roars to destroy just about everything that isn't nailed down. With this much destruction it's no surprise that the police want to stop him, but they can either be avoided or blasted like everything else. Although the levels are rather quick, pitfalls are plenty and Zilla is given four 'lives' as indicated by pieces of his tail falling off, with the occasional power-up also adding to his survivability.

At a casual glance it's hard not to be impressed by the almost painting-like quality of the 2D graphics in Demolition Dash. The detail given over to the graphics is extensive and most of the level is destructable (barring backgrounds and areas you walk on), making it easy to feel like a rampaging monster. Unfortunately the speed at which you travel, along with the amount of debris thrown up, makes it hard to concentrate on the action as your eye is constantly drawn away from hazards. Thankfully the police are announced with audio clips before they're seen and flashing lights make them easier to identify within the blur of action.

While you could easily rampage your way through each city, the real challenge of Demolition Dash is in completing each stage's 'objective' of either destroying certain objects, collecting certain objects or beating a minimum score. Strangely despite its basic gameplay there's no 'endless' mode currently available, though it is being promised for later updates.

If destruction and mayhem is something you crave and you like showing off your games to friends, this one is for you, but if you need something with a bit more meat on its bones this might fail to satisfy.

Screenshots

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