When I was a kid growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, we didn’t have video games to keep us entertained. Instead, we played hide n’ seek or freeze tag, and card games and board games when we couldn’t go outside. My dad loved “coffee table” games that were not only attractive (they were usually constructed out of wood and polished steel) but also fun and challenging. I remember playing Labyrinth for hours, trying to navigate the little steel ball into the “goal” at the end without letting the ball fall into one of the trap holes.
When I was a kid growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, we didn’t have video games to keep us entertained. Instead, we played hide n’ seek or freeze tag, and card games and board games when we couldn’t go outside. My dad loved “coffee table” games that were not only attractive (they were usually constructed out of wood and polished steel) but also fun and challenging. I remember playing Labyrinth for hours, trying to navigate the little steel ball into the “goal” at the end without letting the ball fall into one of the trap holes.
It’s been years since I played the coffee table version of Labyrinth, but all those childhood memories came back to me when I played Codify AB’s iPhone version of this classic maze puzzle game.
You navigate the digital steel ball across a beautiful image of a wooden maze that is different at every level. The free Lite version of the game comes with 10 different levels while the paid version is advertised with “over 500 levels” (I confess I didn’t get that far yet).
The sounds of the steel ball rolling across the wooden surface and bouncing off walls and obstacles are realistic. The 3D animations of the ball rolling and falling into the holes (when you miss) are beautifully executed. Graphically, the iPhone version is a faithful rendition of the original.
But it’s also an improvement on the original as well. With the table version, you could only play one long, difficult level. With the iPhone version, you can play many different levels which each provide a different challenge. The best part about the game is how it makes use of the unique iPhone accelerometer. Instead of turning Etch A Sketch-like knobs for “up and down” and “right and left” (the only controls offered on the table game), you simply tilt the phone the direction in which you want the ball to travel.
Labyrinth for the iPhone is also a social game. In the future, the developers say you’ll be able to design your own levels and share them with other players. Unlike that table version I played as a kid, the variety of levels are limitless. I recommend this game for some classic maze puzzle fun. If you just want to try it out, you can download the free version. If you like it, you can buy it – it’s small price to pay for a pleasurable stroll down memory lane.
