A few days ago I wrote about the upcoming Tiki Toss 3D iPhone game, and after having the opportunity to give it a shot early, here I am with my review.
If you neglected to read my riveting and awe-inspiring preview (how dare you), Tiki Toss 3D by Mellow Militia is based on a hook-and-ring game, also known as Bimini Ring in the Florida Keys/Bahamas region.
After spending these past few days with the game, I can honestly say that it’s rather delightful. The concept is simple, the gameplay is simple, and what it offers is simple. Even though the way I just described it right now makes it sound like a complete bore, that assumption is wrong.
I found it to be ridiculously relaxing, and maybe the soundtrack had something to do with that. By using various Reggae and Bossa tracks, I was instantly transported to the islands. Now, please keep in mind that I’ve never been out of the continental US, so sadly all of my island knowledge comes from the Internet, what I’ve seen on TV, and what I’ve seen in movies. Pathetic, I know. Anyways, one thing I thought was really cool was, if you really liked the music featured in Tiki Toss, there is an option in the main menu to go and download them off of iTunes.
Speaking of the main menu, it’s a nice, clean, and easy to navigate. With all of the extra options to the left, and all of the gameplay options to the right, nobody should get confused on what to do or where to go. With the gameplay, there are three modes to choose from: Best of 10, Session, and Arcade.
Best of 10 is exactly as it sounds. You are given 10 chances to throw the ring, and at the end of it, your high score is updated. With Session, that is sort of like their version of an endless mode. You can toss the ring however many times you like, but the objective in this one is to get the longest string of points possible. Arcade is where you are given 20 chances to throw the ring, and at random times, multiplier bonuses are available. Score twice in a row and you are given a free throw.
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Sometimes I was prompted to bet all my points in a “Double or Nothing” deal, but I never did that once. I was lucky to get whatever points I could, and I wasn’t about to risk throwing them all away on a bet. I knew the odds of me making that decisive shot were against me, so instead I opted to keep my scores which ranged between 6-10 points each round.
One huge negative for me is, regardless of game mode, where the main menu button is located. Sure it saves space, since the top of one of the beach huts is the actual button, but there were plenty of times where, when I was throwing the ring, the game thought I was wanting to go to the main menu. My game ended early, with there being no option to save current progress, and when I tried to go back into the same mode I was in to just start a new game, the app crashed on me. I am on an iPhone 3G with the 3.1.3 OS, so maybe that was why, or it could’ve been that I had an earlier version of the title available on the actual iTunes App Store, so I don’t know. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me though, so I hope you all don’t take it that way.
Other than that little snaffu, the only other “bug” I ran into was when I’d sometimes throw the ring, but now that I think about it, my tiny fingers could be to blame. In order to toss the ring, you put your finger of choice on the screen where the ring is located. Keeping your finger on the ring, you move it wherever you want the ring to be tossed from. Swiping down on the screen is how you send that ring flying, with hopes that it will land on the hook.
The problem I sometimes had was, when I’d swipe my finger down, the ring would move maybe a little bit down, not enough to start swinging. It was like the ring got suspending mid-air. Since it landed at an angle I didn’t want to send it off from, I’d have to then bring it back to where I wanted it.
Even with those two little blips, I found myself enjoying Tiki Toss 3D immensely. It’s great when you want something to play for a few minutes, it’s great when you want to veg out on your couch and have some relaxing fun, and it’s great when you’re feeling a little competitive with yourself.
Tiki Toss 3D is available right now on the iTunes App Store for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It’s also only $0.99 right now, so definitely give it a shot!
