I’m just going to play this for five more minutes then go to bed… oh, is it really 3am already? So sets the scene for Push Panic – a title that thoroughly deserves great fortune and success.
Push Panic, the typical puzzle game, really is addicting. A cascade of different colored boxes come flooding down the screen. You have to tap all the boxes of the same color then double tap on the final one so as to clear them all. It’s down to you how frequently you want to do this. It’s all about pay off. Do you clear just a few at a time but quickly, thus ensuring the screen is clear but gaining a lower score? Or do you wait till they amass in large number then clear them and gain a high, yet risky, score? In practice, it’s a combination of these two that garners you the best success. Each level requires you to achieve a certain score to gain a bronze medal and be able to progress to the next level. Obviously, the urge to continue to play earlier levels in order to gain the gold medal is very strong.
Besides this Classic Panic mode, there’s more on offer. Score Panic, Color Panic, and Time Panic. All of these are available online. Score Panic is basically endless boxes that you need to clear in hopes of achieving the highest score. Color Panic, well is a bit more difficult. The easy way to put it is, you’re only allowed up to 8 blocks of the same color at anytime, otherwise the game is over. Time Panic is the classic time attack mode providing you with 180 seconds to achieve the best score possible.
High Scores are the force behind Push Panic. There’s the provision for both OpenFeint and GameCenter support offering you a whole range of different achievements to aspire to as well as providing you with plenty of competition. Also you must meet a certain score in order to pass on to the next level. After playing it for about 3 hours straight while laying in bed, and realizing I have been working on level 13 the entire time, I knew this game had hit one of the best complex puzzle moments an “Arcade” app could hit.
Push Panic is ridiculously good fun. It’s intense for sure but that’s what makes it a cut above the rest. Push Panic provides quick bursts of fun that are equally as enjoyable if you play it for an extended period. The various power ups and score barriers required to progress add a slight element of strategy to proceedings so that Push Panic never suffers from the monotony that other, similar titles can have. It’s terrific simply put. You’d be a fool to miss out at such a great price.
Developer: Appular
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 3G
