Review: Pinch 2 HD (iOS)
If you’re looking for a puzzle game on the iPad, you’ve got plenty of options. However, if you’re looking for a great puzzle game on the iPad, you’ll have to dig a little deeper. After playing the first level of Pinch 2 HD, I was afraid that the game might be part of the mediocre majority. In this first level, all I had to do was drag a colored ball (which the game calls a “Norb”) through an extremely simple maze to the finish line. Disappointment set in – surely there’s more to the game than this?
Thankfully, the game does get much more interesting as you move along, with subsequent levels gradually adding more and more elements to the gameplay. Soon you’ll be combining multiple Norbs together to cross over gaps, splitting them apart to fit through narrow doorways, activating switches, and combining specific colors of Norbs in order to pass through color-coded gates. Finishing a level simply requires you to get a certain number of Norbs to the exit. However, each level also has four optional medals that you can earn for “rescuing” every Norb, finding all of the hidden stars, finishing the level within a given time limit, and using the minimum number of splitting actions (also known as “pinches”). Making these goals optional gives novice players a better chance to finish the more challenging levels, while simultaneously giving completionists a reason to revisit each level.
All of these clever design elements would be meaningless if the game didn’t control well. Thankfully, the controls in Pinch 2 HD are straightforward and effective. It feels very natural and intuitive to drag Norbs together to fuse them, and to spread your fingers apart to split them. The tactile nature of the game makes it a great fit for the iPad. In addition, the game wisely adds an option for those who are color blind. With this option activated, each color of Norb also has a unique geometric shape drawn on it. Levels that require specific color combinations will even use these geometric shapes on gates to show you which color combination is required.
Pinch 2 HD is available as a free download which includes the first 20 levels of the game. If you enjoy those levels and want more, you can unlock an additional 80 levels from within the game for a fee ($4.99 as of the writing of this review). While I really enjoyed the game, I found that as I reached the later levels, my patience for the optional goals began to fade, and I was more content to simply finish each level. Still, the developers of the game (Coatsink Software) deserve a lot of credit for the manner in which they gradually introduce new concepts and combine them with existing gameplay elements. I found myself eager to finish each level just to see what new idea would come into play next.
With its creative design and deft combination of various gameplay elements, the base version of Pinch 2 HD is highly recommended, especially since it’s free. Even within the first 20 levels, I suspect that many players will find a lot to like, and those who want more will almost certainly get their money’s worth by purchasing the full game upgrade.
