Pig Rush Review

What is the deal with pigs and dragons invading the app store? The irony here, and it's rich, is that pork and dragon meat are both delicious. So, we love to play games containing cute animals that happen to be delicious and/or borderline retarded (Jumpy the Pig, the game's protagonist, apparently didn't get the memo from Super Turbo Action Pig).

If you're looking for a deep, complex game, you'd better look elsewhere. Pig Rush wear's its heart on its sleeve, making no bones about being a casual pick-up-and-play title. It's a platform endurance challenge featuring Jumpy the Pig, who's finally managed to pull an Oliver Twist and escape the confines of his farm (=slaughterhouse), subsequently running for dear life in an attempt to get as far away from impending doom as possible. What's really funny, is that watching Jumpy the Pig provides you with a sense of urgency; he really looks like he's hauling ham, running for his life! Somebody save him!

During his quest, Jumpy encounters deep ravines, fire and moving platforms (as if simply running wasn't hard enough). Fear not, however, as grabbing a hovering fire hat will protect Jumpy from fire. There is also a power-up available which turns Jumpy into a giant, invincible pig!

Pig Rush sports colorful graphics and a peppy sound track/sound effects. Its game play is very similar to Canabalt, adding the ability to double jump and power-ups. Controlling Jumpy literally couldn't be easier. Players simply tap low on the screen to jump low (the lower you tap, the lower you jump) and high on the screen to jump high (the higher you tap, the higher you jump). Double tapping will result in a double jump (low or high or a combo of both).

As stated earlier, during the game, players will encounter several obstacles, such as gaps (remember, you are on a floating platform) and fire and power-ups, such as a fire hat, which protects you from fire and a pig icon which turns Jumpy invincible for a short time. Also scattered throughout each level are bees (yes, bees), which represent the scores of other players. Knock them out of the sky for additional points. Pig Rush also supports OpenFeint Leaderboards/Achievements, which add to the game's replay value.

Shaking your iDevice while at the main menu will activate the game's Easter Egg: A Christmas themed Pig Rush. This mode changes Jumpy the Pig to Jumpy the Reindeer and is set against a snow-filled backdrop, complete with rocking Christmas-music sountrack. The game is still the same, it just looks different. But, it's a nice surprise.

Pig Rush's colorful graphics and peppy sound track/effects easily provide for an immersive game play experience. It's these elements, combined with the simplicity and responsiveness/accuracy of the control scheme, that make this game a wiener.