Developer: Mojo Bones
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4
Look at those adorable screenshots of Tongue Tied. Look how cute Mick & Ralph are even despite those huge slobbering tongues. Underneath that cuteness belies a challenging physics platformer. One that sounds predictable but is in fact an interesting mishmash of platforming and performing tricks.
Tongue Tied eases players in gently. The first few levels explain what’s expected of the player. They must guide the doggy duo across 50 levels in search of the precious WonderBone. It’s certainly an adorable idea and one that works well for younger gamers as well as adults, thanks to the way it deals with the difficulty level.
Traversing each level is easily done. Mick & Ralph run along by themselves with the player controlling jumping and the multitude of tricks that are possible thanks to the two creatures being locked together by their tongues. It works like a slingshot effect with the player holding one dog back in order to flick them forward, frequently to traverse some platforms or to collect precious golden bones.
It does take a bit of practice to perfect. While Tongue Tied is a simple concept with an effective control system, it is quite involving and requires accurate touches of the screen. Completing levels isn’t so hard but gaining a gold medal in each quickly becomes quite tough. That’s no bad thing though.
While so many physics puzzle games rely on a predictable method that works for every stage, Tongue Tied requires adaption and some level of skill. It also makes it as suitable for kids as it is for adults as there’s no real need to perfect each level, other than satisfaction. Mastering new tricks such as loop the loops adds style and panache to the whole experience.
Besides the story mode, the Doghouse offers 30 unique challenges in order to unleash a series of unlockables. It greatly extends longevity and the promise of 12 months of free content from Mojo Bones goes even further to making Tongue Tied excellent value for money.
Tongue Tied takes the core elements of physics platforming and mixes it up perfectly with stylistic trick performances. This emphasis on style ensures that Tongue Tied is more than just a regular platforming title and makes it a game ideal for perfectionists as well as regular physics gaming fans.