Stringz HD Review: New Challenging Puzzler for the iPad

Here ye, here ye. Another quality physics based puzzle hits the iPad. And no, it is not from a big developer, it is from an indie developer, Wingz Studios.

The little gem this site found is Stringz HD ($1.99 via iTunes) and  this awesome game falls in the same category as Cut the Rope or Smoody, where you get something from point a to point b.

Video used with permission from developers.

Meet Z

In Stringz HD, you play some round guy they call Z and the premise of the game is to help him move from a crane that holds him on the top of the screen to a rocket at the bottom. Z cannot move, but he rolls, so you would have to rely on gravity to get him moving. Of course, much like any other physics based puzzle game, you can collect three stars that are scattered on screen.

Unlike Smoody, where you also roll another round critter to its destination by cutting the platforms to create slopes and remove obstacles, Strings will give you a limited supply of strings and rubber bands (which they call elastic strings) to draw on screen with straight lines (only) and roll and bounce Z down to his rocket.

You are trapped and smiling. The irony!

The Awesome Stuff

The puzzles levels are challenging. The levels are riddled with bombs and electricity along with other obstacles that can ruin your plan or kill Z outright. And when I said challenging, I am not saying the occasional semi-challenge that most puzzlers present (like in the case of  Where’s My Water?)… I mean some of the levels are extremely hard. As of writing I have not collected three stars on all levels yet.

The cartoonic nature of the graphics is nice, but not phenomenal, but I did like the music and it suited the cartoonic nature of the game. I tried pausing the game and unpausing, exiting the game and returning and found no lags.

The developers promise additional worlds on updates, but I believe the initial sixty is plenty enough to get your brains thinking.

What’s Lacking…

Well, apart from collecting the stars from all levels, there are no achievements, no access to GameCenter and no collectibles. The game has very little replay value, something that hard core puzzle gamers will delete after completion.

Also, the “elastic” string was somewhat confusing. At first, I thought it was a string I can stretch and bend around something, but in reality, much like regular string (that you can only draw on a straight line), you cannot do anything flexible with it, but Z will bounce on it.

Also, sorry, iPhone gamers, only for iPad.

You are assured there's no moss on that guy.

To Sum Up

While Stringz HD offers very little replayability, it does offer extra long hours of puzzle gaming fun (and sometimes, frustration) to gamers. The game is superb, considering this is the first game the developers created. I should give it a rate of 5, but the lack of “something to aim for” after three-starring all the levels keeps it from that rank. 4/5.

Stringz HD at a Glance:

Pros: Awesome music, decent graphics and cool game mechanics, challenging levels
Cons: Lack of collectibles, GC access and achievements, no iPhone version
The Point: If you only care about playing the main game itself and not much on collectibles, unlockables among other extra, Stringz is a great addition to your springboard.

Price: $1.99 for iPad (HD) no iPhone version

Download Link: StringZ-HD (for iPad)- WingzStudio, Lda

You might want to check out these related posts:

1. Smoody Review
2. Cut the Rope HD Review
3. Where’s My Water? Review
4. Fragger Review