If you found the old arcade game Q*bert entertaining, you are going to bounce up and down with joy when you play Doodle Jump. I don’t agree with the developer’s claim that Doodle Jump is “insanely addictive,” but I do think it is a cute little game with easy-to-use controls and a refreshing, whimsical look.
Doodle Jump is a welcome reprieve from other games, which you play in a landscape direction. Tilt your device side-to-side and tap the screen to shoot as your Doodler, a bug-like little green guy, hops up multiple screens on a series of trampoline disks.
You can shoot enemies with spitballs or stomp them. Pick up gadgets, including a propeller hat and jet pack, to send you quickly bounding up-screen.
The sound effects are simple and fun, and the controls are sensitive. You’re best bet is to play this game when you’re feeling patient. Otherwise, you may get frustrated watching your little Doodler bombing down the page when he misses a jump.
The game’s aesthetic is nostalgic and endearing. The backdrop looks like a piece of graph paper, a la the days of math class passed. Avoid ripped holes in the paper or they will suck your Doodler to his (or her?) demise. The characters and objects in the game look like they were drawn with a pencil and colored using washable markers.
If you liked Q*bert, your 99 cents for Doodle Jump is a sure bet. However, if you are looking for a more complex game, or one you have to use your frontal lobe for, this is probably not the app for you.
