Music Run: Hall of the Mountain King Review – Nice endless runner

Our rating:

By: Kristo Eevardi

Version #: 1.0

Date Released: 2014-08-10

Developer: Kristo Eevardi Games

Price: 0

User Rating:

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If you’ve been following my reviews during the years, you’ll know I have mixed feelings with infinite runners. I love some to no end (Canabalt, 10000000, Alone, WaveWave) but some others I won’t mention, I despise a lot. Music Run: Hall of the Mountain King belongs to the former category: I’m loving it so far.

Music Run: Hall of the Mountain King (Music Run from now on) adds a twist to the infinite runner genre, first, by not being infinite at all. It has a definite length, and is actually pretty short: less than 3 minutes, likely. So far I haven’t been able to finish… so, how do I know?

Well, Music Run mixes another ingredient: the music-reflex kind-of-game. Guitar Hero would be the prime example, for iOS, I’d say Pulse identifies the genre. The moves you need to do in the game to avoid pitfalls and enemies are based on Edvard Grieg’s awesome In the Hall of the Mountain King. Moves are of three kinds: sword slash, jump and glide on the ground. To execute them you have 3 buttons to choose (two on the right for jump/slide and 1 on the left for slash.) Personally I’d rather have slide up on right as jump, slide down on right as glide, tap on left as slash. They would make the game more fluid in the control aspect, specially on iPad. But buttons don’t detract the gameplay at all, it’s just that I have played some games with a similar scheme and this felt closer to what I’m used to. In smaller screens buttons work perfect.

Graphically, the game draws a lot from 10000000, I’m not sure if intentionally or not. For gameplay purpose, I wouldn’t mind playing with a triangle and squares: it’s the speed and music what makes the game so appealing. I’d probably favour a black-over-white, lean style over the crude and pixelated style 10000000 or Only One follow, but I’m more of a minimalistic aesthetics lover than a pixelated look lover, so totally personal.

Music Run is easy to pick, and hard to leave: once you start hearing those bassoons and bass drums and, oh, all of sudden, die, you won’t be able to resist “one more run.” I think Grieg would be proud of the addictiveness his music gave to the game.

Aside from the minor control and graphic suggestions, the game is very good. I can’t wait to see how long it takes me to finish it: it’s harder than what you may be expecting!