Games using tilt controls have certainly come a long way since the early days of the iPhone. Advancements in technology and programming have taken what was once difficult and unwieldy and transformed it into a responsive, valid control scheme. Tiltagon seeks to utilize this new-found precision to create a game that is frustrating, but in all the right ways.
Concept
The object of Tiltagon is to traverse an ever-changing landscape of hexagonally shaped platforms in the pursuit of squares that bestow points. Each hexagon you come across hosts a unique challenge. Some obstacles take the form of bumpers that move across the field, while others are simply misshapen or hard to traverse platforms. Precision is paramount, but speed is also of the essence, as platforms disappear if you stay on them for too long.
Design
Tiltagon looks great. It isn’t flashy, but the geometric shapes are shaded well and clearly define where everything is. The graphics accentuate the gameplay by making it easy to see the action at all times. The colors also change frequently, which gives you something a bit different to look at as you proceed. This game sounds way better than it looks though, and it has an awesome soundtrack that makes for a great backdrop.
Gameplay
Each movement you make in Tiltagon translates immediately to the screen. This allows you to quickly acclimate and make any adjustments you need to. As a result, the game’s interface melts away. Before long, you really do feel like you’re simply moving the ball instead of manipulating your phone.
The Good
Tiltagon’s controls serve the game extremely well. They accentuate the gameplay and seldom hinder it in any way. The overall difficulty of the game is also refreshing. The platforms you encounter utilize memorable patterns, and the more you play, the more recognizable they become. This makes you tangibly better with every run and really adds to the fun.
The Bad
Nothing about Tiltagon is particularly revolutionary. It uses a top down view and tilt controls in order to craft a score chasing mini game. These are all things we’ve seen before, and Tiltagon doesn’t expand on them at all. The game is very well crafted though, and that’s more than enough to make for an enjoyable experience.
Value
This app can be downloaded for free and is supported by ads which can be removed with an in-app purchase of $1.99. I never found the ads to be annoying because they stay off of the actual game screen. All advertisement takes place in-between games, and this makes for relatively innocuous integration. The banners were small enough that I never accidentally hit them either, and overall I never felt the need to have them removed. This game is good fun and well worth the asking price of free.
Conclusion
I generally stay away from tilt controlled games. When I first got an iPhone, the technology just wasn’t as responsive as it needed to be. As a result, using tilt controls was always way more frustration than it was worth. Tiltagon is a challenging game, but that challenge is not due to unresponsive or finicky controls. Instead, this game is able to create a challenging and fun environment that rarely leads to frustration.
Related Apps
This game reminds me of Super Monkey Ball, except it’s controls are much improved.
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