From the land of Android, which the late Steve Jobs has vowed to destroy someday, comes a marvelous platformer called Wind-up Knight for the iOS. Reinventing a classic genre is not something that can be achieved by aiming to do so in the first place. Such a thing only happens through some novel idea that proves to be quite good on paper and in practice. What this game has done is to introduce a mechanic that makes the platforming gameplay much more interesting, which is something that definitely keeps the genre alive.

What this game basically introduces is a wind-up mechanic to the movement, hence the title. Combining the way a wind-up toy car does with the mechanic of a game like Canabalt, you have a limited time of wind-up to move forward, at which time you must address every gap and obstacle with appropriate action, whether it’s a jump, roll, attack, or so on. This seems simple, but it definitely makes for complex gameplay that seeks to bring something new to the table of sidescrolling platformers. Just imagine Mario not being able to stop moving forward for a limited duration of movement each time before having to charge him up again. That would be a very different gameplay experience for that classic title altogether.

This unique gameplay style makes for a exhilirating pace that is what platformers need nowadays to stay fresh. It does slow down due to the wind down mechanic, but for good measure so things don’t go too out of control. What this entails is you need to estimate how much wind up you’ll need to get from point A to a projected point B. This takes quite a bit of skill, especially in terms of spatial judgment. The complex level designs also make this a challenge even for veteran platformers, especially with the variety that is available in this game. There are also extras like unlockables so that you have something to go after in each playthrough.

There are a few things to pick out in this game though. The wind down indicator isn’t very accurate, so that adds to the challenge of determining how much wind up you still have. This makes estimating runs much harder than it looks on paper. Also, the lack of checkpoints make long stages a pain in the neck to play. That’s one mistake that developers have overlooked in this game as checkpoints are basic nowadays in platformers, especially with how impatient players seem nowadays, so it’s kind of a slip up in the marketing standpoint. Still, the quality of the game is such that this can then be overlooked by players themselves and be seen as a challenge to their platforming skills.

After its fairly successful run in Android, it’s time for iOS users to avail of the same platforming clockwork magic that Wind-up Knight gives. As it makes platforming much more challenging and interesting, it’s definitely worth the time and money for even the most seasoned hardcore gamer out there.