Whack Attack! iPhone Review

February 2, 2009 - At last count, I think there are around 500,000 whack-a-mole type games on the App Store. It's one of the simplest game ideas, but how do you make yours different in an overcrowded market? Whack Attack! Games offers 3 fun little distractions with a simple ticket system to encourage high replay value at a not-so-high price.

Choose between three different types of games, each with simple cartoon-y graphics and purchasable themes and sounds. The first game is Blast-a-Mole where you rely on your touch screen reflexes to shoot the moles that pop out of the ground. But you can only shoot the ones that have red targets on their chest. Shoot an innocent mole, and you lose one of three available lives. Lose all three lives and the game is over.

The second game is Memory Attack, a Simon Sez memorization game that uses visual and audio cues to test your memory. The memory games are a real challenge once you get past level 7.

The third game is Match-a-Mole, similar to Blast-a-Mole, except you have to match the moles that pop out of the holes. This is my favorite of the three because after a few rounds, it becomes quite a challenge trying to remember their locations after just a few seconds.

But Match-a-Mole is only playable after earning enough tickets to unlock it. See, the game has a shop, where you can unlock various themes, sound sets and music for each of the games. Tired of matching moles on Earth? Purchase the Celestial visual theme to take the action into outer space. The addition of tickets was a great idea, and keeps the replay value high. I just wish you knew how many tickets you were earning during the game, and not once the game was over.

The graphics are fun to look at and there's quite a variety of sprites to the moles. While the memory game lacks dazzle in the visual department, it more than makes up for it with purchasable sound sets like guitar or drums. The music is also a nice selection of Celestial, Techno, 80's and Funk. All purchasable, of course.

Whack Attack! Games was reviewed playing Version 1.0.

Closing Comments
For $1.99, there's a lot more to Whack Attack! Games than first meets the eye. The addition of purchasable themes, music, sound sets and even the third game keep the replay value high, something other whack-a-mole games are missing.

Rating	Description
out of 10	click here for ratings guide
7.5	Presentation A fun unlockable system and easy customizable games.
7.0	Graphics Cute graphics with different visual themes.
7.0	Sound Good music, but it needs more themes.
7.5	Gameplay Easy to play. The touch controls are very responsive.
7.5	Lasting Appeal The ticket system keeps you coming back for more.
7.5 Good	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)