Snuggle Truck Review

By , on May 5, 2011


Snuggle Truck
Download on the AppStore
5 out of 5

PROS

  • Fun physics based racing.
  • Sharp and easy to learn controls.
  • Polished visuals and effects to accentuate the tension and hilarity.
  • Interesting challenges with online leader boards for competitive players.

CONS

  • Usual concerns with physics adding a minor 'random' element; later level medals harder to lock down as tiny changes can affect the outcome drastically.
  • Limited variety of areas; thematically conflicted given its original intentions (which were far sharper than smuggling rainbow-colored animals).

VERDICT

Taken as it is Snuggle Truck may not be quite as hilarious as originally intended, but the fun gameplay still shines through and conquering each challenge is a blast thanks to the simple controls and varied challenges.


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Snuggle Truck by Owlchemy Labs is the kind of game you want to hold up as a golden standard of why games need their gameplay to stand on their own merit before finalizing the particulars of the presentation. What started out as a tongue-in-cheek title about border-running has transformed in to a fluffy animal smuggling title, but in either case the game is outrageously fun, amusing to play and supremely difficult to put down.

Ultimately your aim is to get your truck and any animals that haven't fallen out of the back to a zoo, but navigating the rough terrain isn't as easy as it sounds. Touching either side of the screen will cause you to move in that direction while tilting reorients the vehicle in an attempt to land smoothly, preventing hard bounces that are prone to fling animals from the back of the vehicle. Power-ups can provide a handy boost, but you'll need to be careful where you deploy it lest you smack in to a hazard on the way.

What makes Snuggle Truck so darn addictive is the variety of challenges that are presented, with multiple physics-based hazards pulling multiple duties in order to trick, trap or slow you down to prevent you from finishing the level in the time you're after. Each level features several 'medals' awarding progress based on how many creatures you're able to save and how fast you're able to do it. Unless you're a freak of nature this will require several replays for later levels, but you'll find yourself loving every moment of it as the game highlights tenuous moments by slowing the game down to a 'bullet-time' so you can savor your victory or failure with equal amounts of joy and laughter. This also gives you plenty of time to absorb the crisp cartoonish visuals in the game, which while oddly paired with the game's theme is none-the-less impressive considering the original concept.

If you're the competitive type you can take advantage of the leader boards, vying for faster times on perfect runs with others around the world. If you prefer a more casual challenge you can stick to the basic medals, skipping a few here and there and taking the game as it comes, complete with loops, explosions and devious challenges.

Snuggle Truck is a vibrant explosion of fun and well worth picking up if you prefer your games to be fast, fun and vibrant.

Screenshots

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