Hellkid: Hook & Jump is a side scrolling jumping and hooking game. You simply move forward throughout the level jumping and hooking accordingly trying to get the most points without falling down into the pits. Hellkid is now out for the iPhone and iPod Touch at your local appstore at the price of $0.99.
The game is very simple. Simply survive and get points as you run through the level. You play as a child demon named Devi who wants to become human. Somehow collecting souls (orbs that gives you points within the level) is linked towards the path of being human. There isn’t really a story anyways even when the game tries to establish one. Way too shallow and not required.
The game only has two controls, jump and hook. When in mid air after jumping, press once more to hook. Let go when you hooked onto something to leap off from the hook. The game is simple yet hard to master. The game features 3 modes (1 more added just recently), the Valley of Soul (12 sections), Valley of Despair (Endless mode where all you do is survive and get the most points you can get) and lastly the latest addition, Valley of Bones (An extremely hooky mode).
Valley of Soul is something you have to pass first before unlocking the endless mode. In the level, you have 12 sections you have to pass. After each section, the game speeds up making your character move at a much faster pace. This thus increases the difficulty for you have to react faster when jumping and hooking. The Valley of Despair plays in similar fashion just without an ending. Valley of Bones on the other hand features a level that requires players to hook and hook. Basically you are mostly if not all the time hooking your way through the level. It is a fun mode but for me and most of you, definitely tougher than the other two.
The control mechanics is simple to understand but the way it turned out wasn’t too ideal for me. I don’t know but it just seemed to lack the smoothness and responsiveness that I expected. Not much of a big deal and it seems to only affect the minority. I would call this an unpolished game mechanics I guess. There but not near perfection. One problem that I would like to see corrected would be the fact that your character dies once he goes below the intended route. I mean because of that hooking seemed to be much tougher especially when trying to execute hooks that allow you to collect souls way below nearly closed to the height of the normal route. I often find myself dying when trying too hard to get the souls way below since once I touch the bottom, I died. Some leeway would be welcomed.
Other than that, the game plays as it should. A progressive save mode per section for the first mode would be great since it isn’t that easy when the character moves at such fast pace. Graphics and sound effects are good and match the exciting fast pace action side scrolling running game. For the price of $0.99, Hellkid is a decent pick up and play game that all can enjoy. Also present within the game is the high score board for both local and worldwide, the competitiveness of the game can be brought up a little.
Gameplay Video:
Itunes Appstore Link: Hellkid Hook & Jump $0.99
