Claustrophobia grips a small young boy’s heart like a vice as he maniacally catapults himself out of a very, very tall tower… So tall is this tower, truth-be-told, that I personally have lost all confidence that one can ever escape. Logic would dictate that the little boy just use the door behind him and make his way to the nearest pub, but I have a feeling he has a hard time seeing with that fuzzy cap pulled over his eyes. Youth these days….
More Bounce To The Ounce
Icy Tower 2 is a cartoonish, jump-style game meant for those with short attention spans and an inability to RTFM. Complex this game is not, and how could it be when the primary focus is a Red Bull inspired, hyperactive bounce upwards. Your primary controls are two large translucent arrows which move your boy left and right on the screen, and holding either arrow for a little longer will launch him into a super-jump. The caffeine-charged kid will continue to bounce indefinitely on his own, so your only worry is keeping him landing on the platforms – some mobile and some stationary.
Major Coinage
Throughout your brief and vertically inspired journey, you’ll snatch a multitude of floating coins and complete achievements called “stunts”. Coins can be sold in the shop for various power-ups such as a plunger that lets you scale the wall or a Blast-Off that gives you a 200 floor head start. You can even customize your avatar with custom wigs and clothing, but ladies beware… Should you be terribly attached to your gender, you’re SOL; no girl-avatar options available.
The Verdict
Icy Tower 2 is a quick-fix action game for those who want something easy to understand and very very bouncy. The controls work well and the graphics are decent enough, but I just wasn’t lured by the tempting reward of stunts enough to keep playing. However, I do have a friend with a 3 year-old who might just use this game as a sparkly distraction so we can go grab a pint.
