Review: Hook Champ

For an iPhone owner, I don't purchase all that much. While the glut of free apps and trial/lite/demo versions of games will quench my gaming appetite when I'm not within reach of my DS or PSP, I've found the few titles I have purchased to lack staying power. However, I recent found a game that drew me in like no other on the platform. It's not exactly the most original thing around, but certainly isn't a complete rip off of a previously published title. It was just familiar enough to get me to swing into action.

As a tasty combination of Bionic Commando and the Indiana Jones movie series, Hook Champ is a delightful simple, but superbly nuanced game of skill that manages to be draw players in immediately with a simple premise: get out of the temple alive. As a Dr. Jones-esque explorer, you begin each level taking a valuable treasure from the absolute depths of ancient temples. This act unleashes a terrible demon that will then chase your every step. Your explorer's only hope of survival is to use his trusty grappling hook to swing from the walls and ceilings, eventually making it back to the temple entrance.

Controls are deliciously simple. You either hold a finger on the bottom of the screen to run left or right or tap in the upper corners of the screen to swing. You'll eventually be able to purchase a shotgun, which can be used to stun the demons chasing you (or give you that extra push to make those hard to reach jumps). I didn't have any difficulty getting into the swing of things and was amazed with how polished and natural the experience was. Blending some charming faux 8-bit sprites, some rock solid controls, and perfectly tuned swinging physics, everything about this game just comes together the way that it should.

Early levels will be inviting to players, but as the adventure continues they will encounter some serious challenges. Not like Demon's Souls obtuse hard, but the kind of challenge that one would expect out of a classic Mario game. When playing the title at my desk at work from time to time, I found myself saying "...just one more try" many, many times, but never felt aggravated by failure. This is in large part due to the game's comprehensive upgrade system that will allow players to purchase extended ropes, faster shoes, and more powerful shotguns.

When all is said and done, this is easily the most captivating experience on the iPhone that I have seen yet. It's a quality title that begs to be on any retrogamer's phone or Touch, and one that I cannot recommend enough to everyone else. For $3, you're not going to find a bigger bang for your gaming buck on app store.

10 out of 10

Try the lite version yourself here, or buy the full version here.