Game Review by Sameer Kak
Game Rating = 5/5 Balls
Summary: Tired of run of the mill video games that offer nothing new to the players? Try this one for innovation… if you like it, you will definitely love it.
Game Play: The basic gameplay involves guiding a gold car along the tracks by constantly switching rails (with the help of the mouse button or spacebar). However the game offers different game scenarios, all of which are timed.
- Collect Coins: you have to collect as many coins as possible.
- Goldrush: you have to collect all the coins on the screen.
- Dynamite: you have to pass the dynamite stick before it blows up.
- Collect Diamonds: and deposit them into the tunnel.
You have to complete the individual sessions between one and two minutes. And the counter starts ticking with ten seconds left – which adds to the tension. As usual, as you progress in the game, you unlock further items and the gameplay becomes more and more difficult.
Graphics: Remember those (bygone) days of adolescence when you had laid out a railway track in some inaccessible part of the house? And frantically switched tracks to keep the engine running? This is a 3-D version; and though the topography is sometimes confusing, the important thing to remember is that the dark (brown) tracks lead downhill. What the computer makes possible is that you can keep going downhill and still come back to your starting point!
Creativity & Innovation: Full marks for innovation. The best part of the game is its simplicity in concept and design. This is a game for all ages – you can play it, your kid can play it, and (perhaps) your mom can be induced to play it as well! Good news if you are new to the world of computer games: you do not have to be a genius or an addict to enjoy this game.
Conclusion: This is an interesting (game) concept, and it has been well developed. If it catches on, it could even become something of a trend-setter. If there is a criticism, it is only that one’s skill level keeps varying between “Apprentice” and “Master”. Normally, as one gains in experience, one would expect that to be reflected in the rating. Fun to play? Yes, and the game sessions last no longer than two minutes. So, if you tire of playing, you can switch off the monitor, and resume when you are in the mood. In sum, it’s a decent game to add to one’s collection.
Koonsolo created Mystic Mine.
