Puzzle Coaster
Developer: Bravo Game Studios
Publisher: Marvelous Games
Platform: iPad, iPhone (Reviewed), iPod Touch
Release Date: 26 November 2013
Price: $1.99 – Available Here
Overview
Puzzle Coaster will challenge players to build roller coasters that will cause the train car to reach every coin without a crash. The game features 63 levels in three uniquely themed parks. Players will be able create roller coasters with a variety of wacky parts like loops, bombs, and springs to solve the puzzles.
Story
Puzzle Coaster has no story. If you manage the craft a tale that explains bombs on roller coaster tracks, springs, and riders enjoying such a hair raising experience, please share it in the comments. We will be impressed.
Gameplay
Puzzle Coaster provides players with a start point, an end point, and sometimes areas where tracks cannot be built. Players can draw an unlimited amount of regular tracks and have access to a limited number of special track pieces. The track pieces are powered tracks in a variety of shapes that will propel the cart in a certain direction, loops, bomb tracks that stop the cart and drop it down, and spring tracks that will rocket the cart forward. Players complete the level by successfully sending the roller coaster car from one end of the track to the other. However, a higher score is earned by collecting all of the coins on the track. As the movement becomes more thrilling, an excitement meter goes from gray to green. I expected the excitement meter to play into the scores somehow, but it seems to have no actual impact on the game.
The game comes with 63 puzzles of varying difficulty. The puzzles are split into three theme parks that represent easy, medium, and hard difficulty. The challenge level of each park is perfectly matched. It is important to note that the hint system is not so much a hint rather the solution to the puzzle. I would have preferred to see a hint system that does not spoil the puzzle right off the bat, but maybe shows off the location of one piece at a time until the entire solution is posted.
The controls are well thought out. The special parts use drag and drop functions and can be modified with small buttons. The standard roller coaster tracks are drawn right onto the screen. Because touchscreens make it difficult to draw precisely, a small zoom window pops up on the left or right side of the screen to assist with fine detail and the ends of tracks automatically snap together. Although helpful, I would have preferred to see an option that locks the zoom to the right or left side of the screen. I used my phone with my right hand and found that my hand sometimes covered up the zoom window when it was displayed on the right hand side.
Visuals
Puzzle Coaster has cute American cartoon style graphics. The three parks have a distinct theme, classic theme park, cowboy western, and Halloween horrors. The colours are bright and eye catching. The UI is simple to use an unobtrusive.
Audio
There are a couple songs in Puzzle Coaster that matches each park. They are cheery and pleasant to listen to. The sound effects on the other hand are a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the sounds like the roller coaster careening down the track sound great, while other sounds like the car being hauled up a steep angle by the chain sound awful. Players won’t miss much by playing the game with the sound off.
Overall
At $1.99, Puzzle Coasters is a good, but expensive game. There are only 63 levels, but the game provides challenging and fun gameplay. The visuals are excellent, but the sound is at best average overall. The game is extremely polished, but needs more content to better justify the price.
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