Unstoppable Square Review

Our Review by Jordan Minor on March 14th, 2014

Rating:

:: COLOR CORRECTION

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Nothing can stop this square, but slight gameplay slows it down.

Developer: Aketomic
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Device Reviewed On: iPad Air

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Unstoppable Square certainly has the energy that its enthusiastic title suggests. Its colorful, fast-paced, retro spectacle could probably double as a test for epilepsy. But like a really sugary snack, after the initial high is a dilapidating crash.

Unstoppable Square is an endless runner where a square runs and jumps its way across a series of rooftops. Picture Canabalt crossed with The Impossible Game. Players tap one side of the screen to jump across chasms. Holding down actually increases the jump height so there’s more finesse beyond just jumping on cue. Each rooftop is also color-coded and by tapping the other side of the screen, the square switches between two colors. If players make sure the square’s color matches the rooftop, they’ll keep their combo going and rack up more points. Usually, players can just switch colors mid-jump before landing, but later sections switch colors within the same rooftop straightaway. Players should then either switch fast or just jump over the opposing section like any other gap.

Besides the bit of strategy that comes from the Ikaruga-esque color swapping though, Unstoppable Square is an extremely slight game. There are no power-ups to make the running and jumping more varied, the environments never really change, and there’s not much incentive to keep playing besides just getting a higher score. The game is tough, and will sometimes randomly speed up or slow down. But the longer a run goes the more monotonous it feels. The difficulty curve is basically a high plateau.

Meanwhile, the chunky and pixelated Atari-level graphics, while energetic, lack character. The only thing keeping the visuals interesting is how frequently the two opposing colors change. But at the very least, the upbeat techno soundtrack is great. It is the only part of the game that feels genuinely “unstoppable.”

Unstoppable Square is a neat little distraction that’s ultimately fleeting. It’s fun enough to warrant a download, but don’t expect to keep it for long.