Imangi Studios, the brains behind the popular endless-runner game Temple Run, is no stranger to movie tie-ins. Just last June, they released Temple Run: Brave which uses content from Disney’s Pixar animated feature film, ‘Brave’. A much-improved sequel to Temple Run hit the App Store in January 2013, quickly becoming the fastest downloaded mobile game in history.
Today Imangi’s second Hollywood tie-in is available for download as a universal build for iPhones and iPads. As the name suggests, Temple Run: Oz ties nicely with ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’, an upcoming fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and due to hit theaters this coming Friday, March 8…
A collaborative publishing effort between Imangi Studios and Disney, Temple Run: Oz follows the proven formula, inviting you to run, jump and slide along the Yellow Brick Road.
Unlike Temple Run: Brave which was based on the original Temple Run engine, Temple Run: Oz runs on the improved engine which powers that fast and fluid performance in Temple Run 2.
As you’d expect, the lush environments follow the flick’s theme and change as you run, with the game’s settings and characters also borrowing heavily from Disney’s upcoming flick.
Promotional App Store screenies look quite nice.
It’s not just about the movie, though: Temple Run: Oz features an all-new hot-air balloon section that has nothing to do with the flick.
From TouchArcade‘s review:
Temple Run: Oz also looks to add its own personal touch with a hot-air balloon flying segment, which is really just a tilt-based coin collect-a-thon but breaks up the action and has a cool epic feel.
There are also dynamic hazards you need to be careful of, like a crumbling statue that will block your path or an enemy that swoops in from the sky that you’ll need to quickly duck under.
Here’s that hot-air balloon segment.
As both ‘Brave’ and ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ are Disney flicks, it’s likely that Imangi has negotiated a long-term deal with the Mickey Mouse hose. Disney is also clever to rely on the hugely popular mobile game franchise such as Temple Run rather than risk a flop by making its own game.
This is apparently becoming a trend in the movie and game publishing business. Angry Birds maker Rovio, for example, recently released a Star Wars-themed pinball game.
Here’s TouchArcade’s hands-on video.
Temple Run: Oz costs 99 cents over at the App Store and will be available on Android devices over at Google’s Play Store later.
Parents beware, Temple Run: Oz lures gamers with a bunch of in-app purchasable upgrades. Even though this seems to be the norm these days, I loathe the practice for Temple Run: Oz is a paid download rather than a free-to-play title, after all.
Anyways, if you enjoyed Temple Run 2 and are looking forward to seeing Disney’s animated flick, Temple Run: Oz should be a no-brainer.