Jack N' Jill Review

First of all, this game bares no relation to the popular children's nursery rhyme (well, maybe a bit), nor the apocalyptically-bad Adam Sandler movie of the same name, so don't worry.

Like any good old school platformer, I found myself coming back to Jack N' Jill again and again. It's extremely playable and shamelessly addictive. The absence of any directional controls means that reflexes will have to be super-sharp if players are to help their marshmallowy little buddy get to his female companion in one piece.

If he hits a wall, Jack will turn around and go back the opposite way. This is all part of the challenge though, as players have to pre-judge which route to take and when to bump into a wall intentionally. There are all manner of spiky objects (including spikes, obviously), bottomless pits, and various 'baddies' (how can they be so bad if they look so cute?) to overcome as players make their way along each level, collecting coins as they go.

Jack N' Jill looks like something that has been plucked straight from a first generation mobile device, and honestly that made me feel all fuzzy inside. The black and white visuals are nostalgic and the dreamy music is chirpy beyond belief. I was whistling along like a total goon while playing this one. The ads are garish and annoying, but can be removed with an in-app purchase of 99 cents.

As far as side-scrolling platformers go, Jack N' Jill performs wonderfully as a casual game for a morning commute but it's not as easy as it looks. For anyone feeling nostalgic about mobile games of old, this is just the ticket.