South Park Imaginationland
Score: 79% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: RealNetworks Developer: Mr. Goodliving Ltd. Media: Download/1 Players: 1 Genre: Platformer (2D)/ Action
Graphics & Sound: South Park Imaginationland allows the player to explore, as Butters, a bubble of imagination. Trapped in Imaginationland during the invasion of the Nightmares, Butters must attempt to free himself and save Imagination. The graphics make liberal use of the license, with fairly high-res characters pulled directly from the television series. The backdrops are static and the maps, all of which are larger than the iPhone screen, are nicely rendered. Using the iPhone's gyroscopic feature, the player can look around the levels by tilting the iPhone, causing the screen to scroll. This only works while Butters is standing still and is therefore somewhat limited in its usefulness. The music and sound effects are well done, but the lack of voice samples or direct clips from the show, a feature that should be easily done considering the power of the platform, hurts the overall feel of the game.
Gameplay: Gameplay in South Park Imaginationland is very straightforward. Using stored up power of imagination, Butters flies around the screen, collecting rainbow bubbles, avoiding hazardous spikes and eventually coming to rest on the landing platform. To achieve flight, the player determines Butters' flight trajectory and the amount of energy expended by touching the screen at the desired angle away from Butters. Once this is done, Butters bounces off, gathering a small amount of energy every time he makes contact with objects or walls. The player can exert a little control on the flight path by swiping the screen up or down, but for the most part, the initial trajectory is paramount in Butters' ability to collect the rainbows. A set number of rainbows must be collected before the level is considered complete. Should Butters run out of imagination energy or should time expire before coming to rest on the landing platform, the player fails and must retry the level. There are three stages of the game, each broken down into five or six subsets. Each of these subsets is further separated into four or five maps, giving the game a good number of levels for the player to enjoy.
Difficulty: As with other similar platform games, South Park Imaginationland requires a fair amount of skill along with a sprinkling of luck. The difficulty scales nicely, with good instructions regarding the tasks that need to be completed in order to beat the levels. As the stages progress, the difficulty increases significantly. This is achieved by shortening the allotted time, adding more hazardous terrain to cover and increasing the number of rainbows that need to be collected. Also, more sophisticated puzzles, some with multiple trip switches, are introduced. By mid-way through the final stage, the levels were becoming almost frustratingly difficult, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps the hardest thing to manage in the game is the amount of energy Butters has at his disposal. Efficient usage of this energy is an absolute necessity for any player wishing to beat the game.
Game Mechanics: South Park Imaginationland is a standard 2-D platform game requiring the player to use the previously mentioned controls to move Butters around the screen and perform specific tasks within a limited time frame in order to complete each map. As simple as the controls are, there are some subtleties which will help players as they advance through the game. Tilting the iPhone while Butters is in flight can affect his motion, helping grab those sometimes hard to reach rainbows. An unfortunate side effect of this happens when Butters flies off the screen, a common occurrence in later levels. It is easy to overcompensate the tilt needed when Butters is not visible, often resulting in a catastrophic landing for our intrepid hero. However, mastering the tilt movement is likely the only way to achieve victory in the more advanced levels. Simple mechanics aside, the game does suffer from a frustrating lack of finesse while trying to control Butters, especially in relation to those of us with larger fingers. Overall, this is a fun game which provides a good number of levels and increasing challenge for the casual gamer. The limited use of the South Park license is possibly the most disappointing aspect of the game and fans of the show should not expect to experience much small-town Colorado bliss. Still, it is hard to find an enjoyable game at a reasonable price, and South Park Imaginationland, currently $.99 in the AppStore, was certainly enjoyable enough to justify the cost.
-The Mung Bard, GameVortex Communications AKA Buddy Ethridge
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