Actionz for iPhone Definitely Supplies the Action
By: Hillel Fuld
The question among mobile developers, if I am judging by the apps I see on a daily basis, seems to be who can make the most complicated and confusing app. What they should be asking is who can make the simplest app? If you look through the top apps downloaded in the App Store, you will find that at least 75% of them are ultra simplistic. I keep saying this and I wont stop until developers start to listen. People like apps that are easy to understand. There is nothing more frustrating than opening a new app for the first time, playing with it for 5 minutes, and then closing it more confused then I was when I first opened it.
Actionz, by Krypto Matrix, is a perfect example. You cannot get much simpler than having commands on the screen for the user to perform, and awarding the user points based on how fast they fulfill the command. That is the game. You have a picture on the screen with which you have to do one of many different actions. There is a timer in the corner that is running out. After each action you complete, you receive more time and the object of the game is to perform as many actions as possible before the time runs out.
So, you are probably thinking “sounds pretty dumb, how could this possibly be fun?” Well, it is fun, challenging, and very easy to get hooked on. The actions you need to perform include pressing on the middle of a big red circle, swiping your finger across an arrow-like picture, shaking the device (be careful not to let it fly out of your hands), tilting your device, and aligning a shape.
In addition to the fun and simple nature of Actionz, as well as the fact that it is pretty intuitive, it also includes a tutorial, something missing from apps much more complicated than this one. Actionz also includes a few different tracks. You can play with other players in the Multi Player mode, you can try it once in the Time Trial mode, or enter the Arcade mode and try to advance levels by scoring a minimum amount of points for each level.
The problem with Actionz is that since it is such a fast paced game, and every second counts, it is crucial that the game be ultra responsive to your every move, and it isn’t. It picks up most of the things you do, but specifically the Shake action is a little delayed. I found myself shaking the device multiple times after the game did not recognize the initial shake. Now I am not sure if this is even up to the developer or it is a hardware thing, all I know is this is the first time I found the iPhone’s accelerometer to be not as responsive as I would have liked.
All in all, Actionz seems to have every component needed for a successful app. It offers entertainment, which is of course the most important factor. It has great sound effects and fun background music. It is easy to use and can be very addictive. What else can one ask for in an iPhone app, right? I am not going to say it is my all time favorite game on the iPhone, but it will surely remain on my 5th home screen for a while, which is more than I can say for 80% of the apps I download.
Our Rating: 3/5
Developer: Krypto Matrix
