Amazing Alex for Android – Review

Our rating:

By: Rovio

Version #: 1.0.4

Date Released:

Developer:

Price: 0.99

User Rating:

Loading...

Download for Android

In the past couple of years, Finnish game developer Rovio has become completely synonymous with its ridiculously popular Angry Birds franchise. Leaving aside my belief that those games are ridiculously overrated, it’s probably a wise move for the company to show that they have more tricks up their sleeve. This is precisely what they’ve done with Amazing Alex.

Amazing Alex admittedly doesn’t quite ooze the originality of Rovio’s angry avian game. It’s essentially a more cartoonish version of The Incredible Machine, the physics-based contraption-building game where you must use the odds and ends at your disposal to make a specified action occur; be it popping a balloon or guiding a ball into a basket.

Original or not, the game is hugely enjoyable, and Rovio have added some of their trademark touches to make it stand out from the competition. Unsurprisingly, there are bonus stars to collect in each level, which will appeal to the ‘100% completion’ obsessives out there, and the game also includes a community mode, where players can share maps they created as well as playing on those other people created.

Given the feverish appeal of the Angry Birds visual style, we could be forgiven for expecting something equally appealing from Amazing Alex. Sadly, the eponymous character isn’t half as cool as the pissed off bird-heads, as he just stands around being delighted every time you complete a level.

That small qualm aside, this is a great game that will appeal to those looking for more of a puzzle-based challenge than that offered by Angry Birds. Despite the cutesy visuals, this is a game that quickly gets brain-twistingly challening, and the sheer number of levels (not to mention bonus stars and created levels) means that the lasting appeal of this game is virtually endless.

We rate this app 4.5 out of 5 stars.