Snood is an addictive puzzle game created in the late ’90s that hit several platforms including Game Boy Advance and PC. It has now come to the iPhone platform thanks to Electronic Arts. This version adds some new features and updated graphics, but it could definitely use some work.

If you haven't played Snood, you’ve probably played an array of very similar games that have adopted its game-play. The game consists of a projectile device that shoots different Snoods and connects them to other Snoods above you. Connect three or more Snoods of the same color to make them fall off and earn points. Just to make things interesting, the platform the Snood pieces lie on gradually moves down as you progress, and once it reaches your projectile device, it’s game over.

Five difficulties, four game modes, and two different styles of Snoods are included in this version of the game. The difficulties range from child to evil and add versatility to the game, while the option to pick old Snoods or new Snoods adds some flavor. A story mode, challenge mode, puzzle mode, and time attack mode are all present but, to me, seem too similar to even be considered separate game modes. It’s a fun game, but this attempt at a change-up in the game-play seems like a failed one.

One thing that sticks out like a sore thumb in this game is the menus. They work well and look all right, but they are landscape-oriented while the game is played in portrait. I also couldn't get the two-player Facebook mode to work even if I was on the same WiFi network as my opponent. Along with the two-player mode, several features, such as achievements, require a Facebook account, which some players might not have. These factors all drove me away from this game and detracted from the fun.

The background music is extremely repetitive, and the controls need a lot of work. The techno music is a nice fit, but after about five minutes, it can step on your last nerve. The control scheme could have used some additional thought. You press down on the screen and scrub your finger back and forth to aim, and then tap the Snood shooting device again to eject your Snood. Your finger is likely to get in the way as you aim, and you are restricted by only being able to tap on the projectile device.

Snood isn’t all bad, though. It still has the addicting game-play of the original, it has a few new magical Snoods, like the Bomb Snood, along with fairly interesting graphics and animation. To add some flavor to the game, the Snood’s faces are constantly changing, and you even need to wake some of them up by hitting them with another Snood. These factors alone were not enough to drive me into recommending it. The negative factors deterred me from enjoying this game, and I don’t think I’ll be keeping it much longer.