iPhone Reviews 2.0

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Spore Origins is a game of survival by Electronic Arts Nederland BV. $6.99

Spore Origins is the cell section of EA's Spore on PC, Mac and Wii. The game is very easy to pick up and play straight away. With only one option to start with, Evolution, the first few of the 30 levels explain how to play and what you must do to advance to the next level. The controls are very simple to understand, tilt the device in the desired way to make your Spore move around. This can take a few levels to master but ends up being very easy. In the practice level it starts with bubble bars on the horizontal and vertical axis to help you, I would like to see an option to have the bubble bar in game as it would be very helpful for beginners. Later on in the game an achievement is unlocked letting you play survival mode, which is based on the same concept of evolution.

The graphics in this game are very smooth considering all the stuff that is going on. Each creature has been designed to perfection, from how the seaweed floats in the water to the action of the jellyfish swimming in the water. The game doesn't freeze at all when things get hectic in the game such as eating eight tadpoles in a row, which I am very impressed with. The detail which can be made with an infinite number of choices in the creature editor are excellent also. There are 12 possible upgrades which can be made to the creature such as spikes and eyes and these look great.

The in game music suits it perfectly. A new age theme is used causing easy flowing music that is easy to listen to. The music fits the cell stage perfect and is one of the few games I like to play with the music on.

The menu has a simple, easy to look at lay out which doesn't go over the top. There options to play either the Evolution or Survival mode. The creatures button shows which creatures you have currently made and currently playing with. You can have 10 creatures going at one time. For the codeword to razorianfly's contest, it is the nineteenth word in the next paragraph, good luck. The achievements show achievements that you have completed in game, they are hidden until you have unlocked them. Options will let you change the music levels and to calibrate your tilt levels to improve how easy it is for you. Help will tell you about everything in the game, such as how to use the creature editor controls or the objective of evolution mode.

The gameplay in evolution mode is to eat your way through 30 levels. Every 5 levels is an extended level where you must negotiate your way through a maze filled with creatures and get to the end. Getting past the maze puts you onto the next zone filled with new creatures The levels in between are designed so you eat creatures smaller than you to fill up the DNA bar which is on the top left of the screen. As you progress through the game, your Spore gets bigger and you can eat more creatures. The last three levels are boss levels where you must destroy large creatures in order to finish the game. Dieing in the game is by getting stung, attacked or shot at by other creatures and losing all your hearts. Survival mode is all about eating the little pills and evading the creatures which come onto the screen. You keep going until you die. The creature editor is very detailed and responds to each little touch. The color, pattern and weapons and size on your Spore can all be edited by pinching, pulling, poking and dragging parts on the screen.

There is some replay factor in the game by creating more Spore creatures and completing the game over and over again to unlock all the achievements. The game is good for casual players with the simple process of eat or be eaten, while being really addictive at the same time. Boss and maze levels will stretch the most experience gamer, while having fun at the same time. The game is very well done, I would like to see add ons or more Spore versions on the iDevices such as later stages in the Spore's life. Worth the sale price of $6.99

Graphics- 9/10
Gameplay- 7.5/10
Sound- 8.5/10
Overall- 8.5/10

I would recommend this game if you enjoyed- Pacman?

Tell me what you think about this review at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/iPhone_Reviews and some ideas to improve the reviews will be appreciated! Stay tuned, The next two days I will be away due to a family member being in hospital hundreds of miles away, I must fly to visit them expect Monday's and Tuesday's Review to be released as soon as I get back- Coming on return- Smiles and Sneezies

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