Developer: Avallon Alliance
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPod Touch 4th Gen
There’s quite a clear message at the start of Worms Party; never trust friends! Unfortunately for Larry the Worm, that message was delivered too late, and he falls asleep during a party. During this time, Larry’s friends decide to strap a turbo engine to his back and turn it on. With a “whoosh,” Larry shoots off and it’s up to the player to control him, avoiding obstacles as he flies through the air.
The premise behind Worms Party is incredibly simple, yet extremely addictive. Larry starts off each level moving to the right of the screen at a moderate speed. The level is split into two sections; above and below the ground, with obstacles frequently appearing in each.
To dodge low hanging obstacles the player has to tap the bottom half of the screen, at which point Larry will dive underground, before surfacing again a second later. To jump over an obstacle the player has to tap the top half of the screen. By tapping up and down one after the other the player can build up a good rhythm which will see Larry diving in and out of the ground like an ugly land dolphin.
To add to the challenge Larry’s speed steadily increases as the level progresses, before peaking at 160mph. This means the player has to constantly adjust how quickly they need to tap the screen to jump.
To take away some of the frustration the game does provide a brief glimpse of what is coming up, so the player can be ready. Be warned though, take five hits and it’s game over. My only issue with the controls is that it’s a bit too easy to hit the pause icon when trying to get Larry to jump.
As much fun as score chasing it, Worms Party would start to feel stale if it wasn’t for the missions provided. To progress and upgrade the turbo engine, Larry requires stars which can be achieved by meeting certain criteria. For example, reaching 2000m without taking a single hit will bag the player a star, as will crashing into five obstacles of a certain type. Game Center achievements are also included, providing an incentive to carry on.
For those looking for a game that is easy to pick up, yet hard to put down, Worms Party is ideal.