8-BIT WATERSLIDE Review

Developer: Ancient Games DS
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.3
App Reviewed on: iPhone 5

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Let's get this out of the way first: 8-BIT WATERSLIDEis yet another endless runner. Players control a guy on a crazy water slide and must tap to jump over buzzsaws and other obstacles. In many ways this means it offers much of the same old gameplay that we've come to expect, but 8-BIT WATERSLIDEdoesn't quite stop there.

The first thing players will noticeis its commitment to looking "older." The pixel art isn't quite as clean and polished as more modern games, and even the title screen lists its copyrigh as 1982 and 1984. Although the look isn't entirely 8-bit, it's clear that 8-BIT WATERSLIDEis going the distance to evoke a simpler time.

The other thing that makes 8-BIT WATERSLIDEmore than the typical endless runner is how weird it is. For example, in order for players to power up their boost meter at the bottom of the screen, they need to hit Mario-like question blocks that proceed to deliver pain to the player character in various forms - including something I will politely refer to as a "pineapple insertion." Stranger still is 8-BIT WATERSLIDE's announcer, who punctuates the end of each run with completely bizarre phrases like "There's a spider on my brain," or "I caught up on my rent!"

These may seem like small details in the grand scheme of things, but with scope as limited as the endless runner is in the first place they kind of go a long way. The old-school feel and general zaniness makes 8-BIT WATERSLIDEfeel like it could have been a hidden gem in the arcade. It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but there's just something to it'sbrand of crazy that makes everything work.