Every once in a while, a smartphone game comes along that isn’t just another take on an existing, tired concept. I mean, we all like to stick with what we know, but let’s face it, it’s great to have a brand new experience, if only every once in a while.
Every once in a while, a smartphone game comes along that isn’t just another take on an existing, tired concept. I mean, we all like to stick with what we know, but let’s face it, it’s great to have a brand new experience, if only every once in a while.
Mr Legs isn’t just a unique experience – it’s one of the most unique and twisted mobile games we’ve played in a good while. From the setting to the presentation, and not to mention the sound effects, this is a game that was born inside the mind of a wonderful mad man (no offence to the developer, who should actually take that as a compliment!) and miraculously allowed to roam free. If you love life, you’ll love Mr Legs.
The game follows a cherry picker who is looking to be the best cherry picker in the whole of Londonium. By pulling up and pushing down, players are able to stretch and retract our hero’s legs, allowing him to eat cherries that are both up high and down below.
Here’s the catch, however – depending on how tall his legs currently are, Mr Legs will walk more quickly and more slowly. This means that if you stretch him up to his maximum height to grab a cherry, you’ll also have to watch out more carefully for obstacles ahead, as he’ll stride at a brisk pace and not leave you much time for dodging.
There are plenty of things to dodge too – birds will peck him in the face, while bombs explode at his ankles. Elsewhere, special pills will make him speed up to ridiculous velocities and make it incredibly hard to reach the finishing line without crashing face-first into something bad.
This is the entire concept set out, and while it may sound simple, it’s anything but. The first few levels allow you to get to grips with speeding up and slowing down, but later on you’ll have to really think about what you’re doing. For example, a line of birds may completely block your path, meaning you need to slow down to let the quicker birds move out of line, then speed up to pass them.
There are, in fact, many clever ideas such as this bundled away into this game, and we found ourselves smiling multiple times throughout play at just how intricate the level design is. Note that it does get very tricky later on, and more casual players may find the going tough, but you won’t mind so much as it’s such a delight to play.
That’s not the only thing that had us smiling. The visuals are hilarious, with great animations and silly background, while the sound effects and music fit perfectly with the tone of the game. You’ve got classic Mozart playing constantly, while Mr Legs shouting “Helloooo baaaby” at no-one in particular. What’s not to like there?
Unlocking levels involves collecting enough cherries to pass, and this can be tricky later on, as a single hit from a bird or a bomb will make Mr Legs drop all his cherries. This can be pretty frustrating, especially when coupled with a three-star ranking system, but this was our only real problem with the game’s design.
Mr Legs is refreshingly different from anything we’ve played on Android up to this point, and deserves to be played. Make sure you grab a copy and help Mr Legs became the greatest cherry picker in all the land.
