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| G-POD |
| David Horn |
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| Introduction |
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| Every so often a game comes along that you just can't put down. You drag extension leads 'round the house trying to keep playing ... you even take it to the bathroom with you. This is G-Pod. Prepare to kiss your social life good bye. G-Pod is an action-arcade game about gravity. You have to fly through tunnels, keeping your ship balanced, while avoiding or blasting your enemies. It has more than 50 levels, where the goal is to find and pick up the magic G-Pod (A heavy metal ball which is held to your ship using a tractor beam). The G-Pods are hidden somewhere in the tunnels and once you find them, you have to find the exit again, maybe using a different escape route. Only this time the G-Pod is linked to your ship, making things just a bit harder. |
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| 'Lunar Lander' on Drugs |
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| On the menu page you will find the option to either resume from your previous game, maintaining your high score, or starting a new game at your most recent level. There is also one of the best training sections that can be found: clear, informative screenshots describe the controls, hazards, power-ups and settings. I had only one problem with this ... AIM conveniently forgot to tell you how to pick up the G-Pod or refuel. I'll make it easy for newcomers to the game and tell you; it's the shield button. Use it when you're close to the fuel tank or G-Pod. There is also a demo mission where the computer plays one of the levels, giving newbies a chance to see the tools used in action. The levels are designed around three themes, metal, rock, and different metal (See screenshots). The levels are enormous and thus you can register at checkpoints, where you'll respawn if you are killed. Which you will be, trust me. |
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| To control your ship you use the directional pad or hardware buttons, and you press the screen for thrust. This worried me a bit at first, since I do not like fingerprints on my screen, but you can position a cloth just so under your thumb or clean the screen afterwards. You can rotate your ship through 360 degrees, with thrust in any direction. I particularly liked the way little flames of thrust came out of the sides of the little ship when it turned. Graphics are smooth, flowing and never stutter, but can be repetetive since there are only three themes. However, the level design more than makes up for this. The play is in landscape mode, which is daunting at first but quickly becomes second nature. The engine and gun sounds can also be repetetive, but the sounds can be muted or turned down. The real beauty of the game is in it's variety. You will constantly discover new things ... from different ways of controlling your ship to new hazards. Giant magnets appeal to anyone? As you are drawn towards them and the engines are burning full blast you will hear a little voice in the back of your head: 'There's not enough poooer, Cap'n!' |
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| Conclusion |
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What do I think of it then? Well, I think it's a great game that should get what it deserves. There is nothing better for sheer addicitiveness than G-Pod. There is an extensive collection of levels, although some of them do become a little repetetive sometimes due to the fact that there are only three themes. One thing I would like to see in the next version of G-Pod is two player mode over IR or bluetooth. It would be great to play a G-Podded version of 'capture the flag' in this game. In my opinion, start counting the pennies down the back of your sofa or selling lemonade on street corners. It's not the cheapest game in the world at $19.99 but in my view it's worth every penny. |
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| 8 out of 10 |
| Pros |
Cons |
- Addictive Gameplay
- Huge Levels
- Excellent Training
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- Levels sometimes a bit repetitive
- Have to use thumb on screen
- Not cheap
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