Developer: [adult swim] Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4S
Adult Swim Games has long been a purveyor of games that appeal to the same unique sensibilities and humors as their off-the-wall late night programming do. Some of their games are slightly offensive, others are just a bit weird and quirky, some are just plain gross. Still, whether they be gross, quirky, or off-color, Adult Swim Games titles all share an appreciable level of polish and are generally well crafted games. Snoticles, the newest addition to their library of games, is no exception. This game is a snotty, mucus filled, cartoony squelch-fest, and while it’s certainly not the grossest game out there it still might make players feel like washing their hands after playing.
In Snoticles the player takes control of several different creatures from which the game gets its name. These Snoticles each have their own more or less putrid abilities that they can use to launch projectile attacks. By controlling the direction and force of these messy missiles, players must clear stages filled with enemy Blots. The Blots are mold spores that have infected the Snoticle’s world and all the leader spores must be cleared from each level. The Snoticle projectiles react and bounce off each of the many spores as well as any walls and other obstacles in the environment making it increasingly difficult for the player to aim and puzzle out a solution to each level. Each character (some levels include more than one Snoticle) also has a limited amount of projectiles they can launch.
The gameplay in Snoticles is very familiar. The bouncy ball physics coupled with the projectile launching mechanic make this game into something like a very rude and crude mash up of Angry Birds and Peggle. That said, what works so well in those games also works very well in Snoticles. The physics are polished and the player can learn to gauge how their gross bits of ammunition will interact with the environment. The game design does exactly what it should and evokes the grimy atmosphere one would expect from a game called Snoticles. The puzzles are fun and the game is very well designed. If players can play without losing their lunch, they are likely to have a great time.