Crayon Physics Deluxe iPhone, iPod Touch Review

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Back in 2007 a bright young spark named Petri Purho took the two greatest discoveries of man – physics and crayons, obviously – and combined them in the form of a PC puzzle game that would be released that year as Crayon Physics Deluxe, a near flawless example of 2D physics based problem solving.

Seeing as every other indie hit seems to be making some kind of appearance on Apple’s tiny box of magic, it was only a matter of time until Crayon Physics Deluxe also made itself present. And rightfully so, Crayon Physics Deluxe is just as good in miniaturised form as it is on the PC, with very little alteration from the critically acclaimed original.

Levels still consist of moving a ball to a star in order to progress, using any means imaginable in which to do so. By drawing a series of lines, shapes, pivots and ropes – all of which are affected by gravity – the ball can be forced to indirectly traverse the scenery.

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There are a few occasional issues with the game misinterpreting shapes, but the few times these do occur are never enough to spoil the general flow. Of course, given the size of the iPhone’s touch-screen there are few helpful additions to this handheld version.

Using the iPhone’s standard pinch-to-zoom technique it’s possible to center in on specific areas of the screen, allowing for a considerably greater level of accuracy when drawing. In this state, placing two fingers on the screen and moving them simultaneously provides the ability to observe the entire game area, without having to move out of the desired level of zoom.

There’s also the ability to restart a level by shaking the device ‘Etch-a-Sketch’ style, but this appears to be far more of a last minute decision to rope in the accelerometer, and doesn’t do anything that couldn’t be achieved via a simple touch of a button.

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Crayon Physics Deluxe retains the same delightful aesthetic of the PC original, the soothing soundtrack going hand in hand with its childlike, minimalist visuals. The physical manipulation of on-screen objects has – post patch – made it without any noticeable detractions, and the game overall feels like the same old Crayon Physics we all know and love.

The level editor is also present, providing hours of extra play once the 50+ single player levels are over. An addictive and impressively complex puzzle game, Crayon Physics Deluxe once again proves that not all good things come in shiny 3D packages.

8 out of 10