Most Indie titles fail to connect simplicity with enjoyability. The Tower: A Bomb's Climb is a nice reminder to us all that non-elaborate games can be quite rewarding. For $1.00 (80MSP), there isn't much to complain about!
A Bomb's Climb is essentially a clone of an already popular formula. “Ascend as high as you can before (enter baddy here) touches you!” Even in modern gaming, developers throw gamers into situations where they must outrun their foe meanwhile avoiding obstacles. Of course this Indie title is much simpler. Basically, you are a walking bomb; not to be confused with Nintendo's Bob-Omb. You do not have control of where this bomb walks, instead he moves constantly from right to left on a 2D plane. While we cannot move the bomb, he can be commanded to jump- holding the jump button (A) longer alters the height and length of his jump. Finally, a giant flame shadows our bomb's voyage. If you are not quick enough to continuously elevate then it's Game Over for our good friend the bomb!
There were some things in A Bomb's Climb that really stood out to me, marking this as better than just an average Indie game. For instance, climbing higher in the tower is not as simple as just jumping repetitively. Spacing in the levels requires you to time your jumps, meaning you must always be quick to think. If you make a mistake you will drop down levels. If you were preparing to jump but fall, you must instantly prepare another jump; or will most likely fall again and again. Thankfully even if the fire does reach your character, you are provided with 3 lives; so things become a bit more relaxed. Another notable inclusion were power-ups. Though only a few exist, they mix gameplay up just enough to where gameplay doesn't feel stale.
Graphics and audio are presented nicely. The title screen is very well done, and overall the title features a very clean look. The visuals are somewhat basic, though not at all ugly. While nothing over the top was attempted, the point is that A Bomb's Climb just looks generally nice. Audio was very similar to this description. Not many tracks were present, but it maintained a “happy” vibe that kept things upbeat and addicting. Truth be told it sounded like something Nintendo would conduct.
The Tower: A Bomb's Climb is a swell Indie game. The enjoyment at hand is well worth the pocket-change pricing. One thing I never mentioned was the multiplayer! Four players can challenge each other simultaneously on splitscreen. Or if you'd prefer a more modern approach, A Bomb's Climb also features Xbox Live support. Something quite rare for an Indie title regardless of price. This title oozes the theme “good, clean fun;” if you have some left over points, pick it up!
Graphics | Audio | Gameplay | Replay | Genre | Final |
