Treasure Tower Sprint Review

After only a few moments spent playing Treasure Tower Sprint, I'd pretty much figured it out. It's Pac-Man, as seen through a very distinct "Arabian Nights" lens. However it's not a derivative clone or a simple re-skinning; instead it takes a time-tested concept, dresses it up nicely, and adds a few common mobile game design elements to craft a genuinely pleasing experience.

Most wishes come at a cost, but no one ever seems to consider that when they go looking for an easy answer to all of life's problems. Case in point: the young man who decides to brave the perils of the Treasure Tower in order to reach the Djinn at the top. Of course things don't really go according to plan and soon he finds himself dashing through multiple floors in multiple towers as he tries to attain more and more wealth. Each floor is a series of passageways littered with gold coins. Players have to gather them all up in order to open the stairs to the next level while carefully avoiding or intentionally fighting the beasts that are always prowling around. Pretty much all actions (i.e. fighting, picking locks on chests, etc) happen automatically when the main character is close enough, and running around is a simple matter of dragging a finger along the screen in the desired direction.

Familiar or no, the core mechanic of running around collecting all the shinys is just as habit-forming as it was over thirty years ago. But Treasure Tower Sprint isn't simply a new coat of paint slapped on an old idea. Enemies can be fought, or avoided altogether. The little would-be millionaire can spend his hard earned coins on upgrades between rounds in order to absorb more damage, deal more damage, pick locks faster, and so on. The levels themselves are also an interesting mix that can encourage speedy gathering, precise timing, or even some light strategizing all based on their layout. Plus it just looks cool, what with all the vibrant colors and interesting enemy designs.

The crux of Treasure Tower Sprint's gameplay, however, could use some polish. Specifically it's that the movement controls aren't great. I mean they get the job done, but both the touch controls and the virtual stick have a tendency to get me hung up on corners. It's not too much of an issue overall, although it is a little irritating, but it's much more apparent during the bonus stages that involve chasing down peacocks within a time limit for extra cash. Trying to get anywhere in a hurry using either option feels really, really clunky.

But as I've said; the controls are only really a problem when time is a factor. And it rarely ever is. Other than that Treasure Tower Sprint is a very well made, and fun, modern throwback.