A game that’s not nearly as dirty as it sounds…
Pandas? Gorillas? Ice Cream? Holes?
Sounds like a party right? It is. Roll in the Hole by Chillingo is a freaking adorable game about a poor little, obese panda who lost all his ice cream. Some punk-ass primates pilfered it while Panda was napping! Now it’s time for you to help him get it back.
Roll in the Hole is a classic puzzle/platforming game that is similar to a lot of the other “get to the end of the level as fast as possible but also collect three items for the best score” titles… but it somehow seems a lot more fun. Maybe it’s because you’re controlling a fat rolly Panda. Or maybe it’s because the controls are simple, sensitive, and incredibly intuitive.
All you need to do is touch the screen on the left or right to start the Panda rolling in that direction – the longer you hold, the faster the momentum. As easy as that sounds, the game itself is definitely not overly easy. Even the slightest amount of over-holding can result in sending the panda flying off of a platform, over a hill too fast, past an ice cream cone you are supposed to collect, or any other numerous ways to fail each level. I started the game thinking “this will be easy” and after the first few levels thought “I suck incredibly at safely rolling Pandas around.”
After playing through about 12 stages, I can honestly say I wanted to stay and play through the entire game – and I don’t even really like this kind of platformer. That’s how addicting it was. Or maybe it’s because I was frustrated and felt I had something to prove. Either way, it got me hooked.
The game already has 72 levels, separated into three vastly different stages: Jungle, Snow Mountain, and Space. Each stage has totally different obstacles, and changes the way the panda interacts with the environment. For instance, its particularly hard to roll uphill in the snow and to change direction on ice, whereas your rotund little bear friend falls more slowly in low-gravity space levels.
The animation is bright, colorful, and cute while remaining very simple. Just in the short time I played it, I noticed so many little details such as grass rustling as I whizzed by, or a flower being crushed as I rolled over it.
This game is available for iPad and iPhone gamers, so nobody will be left out. If you’re into the puzzle/platforming genre, this is not a game you’re going to want to miss. Take a peek below at the basic gameplay and animation… and see how much I fail.
Panda, I love you.
