When I decide to purchase an iphone back in 2008, I was most intrigued by the ability to download apps. I wanted them all, from games, utilities and references. I remember when the app store first launched and there were only 500 to choose from. Today sifting through over 30,000 apps can be a nightmare. Before you purchase an app it’s important to do your research because there are no refunds. It’s especially important because games always claim to be “the best out there”, yet rarely meet those expectations. First is is the interface. Navigating around the menu screen should be simple and make use of the iphones technology. The graphics should meet the needs of the game. If you’re playing solitaire, they don’t matter. If you’re playing NBA Live, they do. A key thing to look for when buying a game is length of enjoyment. If you’re going to shell out some cash you want the fun to last. I also look for competitiveness. More specifically can I challenge some else? I want to be able to compare my score to others for bragging rights.

Topple was first released in 2008, a simple game that involved stacking blocks. After becoming a huge success, ngmoco:) released Topple 2. The objective of Topple 2 is to stack different shape blocks as high as you can, without them falling over. The blocks appear one at a time on the screen. They can then be rotated to any angle. This is done simply by placing a finger on the block and a second finger anywhere else on the screen. Next slide your second finger to the left or right to rotate into your desired position.

Topple 2 takes advantage of the iphones tilt sensor. You can tilt the iphone to help balance your tower. The interface is smooth and straight to the point. The main menu consists of four options; “play,” “versus,” “more” and “challenge”. Choosing “play” will get you straight into the player mode where you must stack blocks to a certain height in a limited amount of time. If you win, you will work your way up through increasingly difficult and diverse levels. “Versus” will allow to challenge a friend if you’re both connected to the same Wi-Fi. “Challenge” is a feature that incorporates facebook and twitter (more on that later.) “More” gives you the ability to adjust the technical aspects such as the volume. The interface has a new feature that allows you to import music form you library in case you get board of the default song.
Topple 2 from a graphics stand point looks great. Its bright colors catch the eye and at the same are relaxing. Each level has a different background so you don’t get bored of looking at the same thing. A nice feature is the emotions the blocks display. If you’re tower isn’t balanced well they will begin to look nervous and anxious. Blocks balanced correctly will give you a nice smile. The graphics are designed well and suite the need of this game.

Although Topple 2 will essentially have you do the same thing over and over, its slight tweaks provide enough entertainment to justify the $.99 you will pay for it. During one player mode you will experience different game modes. The first is stacking blocks underwater, where the gravity is different. The blocks now fall from the bottom to the top. It may not sound different but the blocks behave differently giving you a new challenge. The next is rescue mode. Once you reach the required stacking height you must escort and egg to the bottom. This is done my removing blocks one by one. If the egg falls too far it will crack and you will have to start over. It’s important to make a studier and tower and place blocks horizontally. My favorite game mode is balance. The only tweak in this mode is you are stacking blocks on a scale. Each side must have the same weight or its game over. The last one is power mode. “Power” blocks must be placed next to each other so they all light up. The normal blocks will still fall and can be placed anywhere.

These different game modes are fun, but they aren’t incorporated into the multiplayer (“challenge” and “versus”). The “challenge” feature looks great because it includes facebook and twitter; however it falls a little short. There is only one game mode available, stacking as high as you can. I would have liked to see the other game modes included. The “versus option” lets you play on Wi-Fi. I was unable to locate someone else with Topple 2 on the same Wi-Fi, but I did some research and a review from touch arcade said, “You’re immediately thrown in to a game with any other person looking for one on your network, without any kind of confirmation, and the two player game is nothing more than a best of three match played in standard vertical build mode with a remarkably short goal height. When the best of three winner is decided, you’re tossed back out to the main menu. As much as I hate to say it, that’s really all there is to multiplayer.” “Challenge” and “versus” could both use some improvement.

Topple 2 has only crashed for me once, during the loading screen. I haven’t experienced any problems while playing. The menu usually displays a nice sunny day, but for some reason it showed up completely white one day. Topple 2 has no major technical issues that should prevent you from purchasing it, but you are a bound to see it glitch at least once.

Overall Topple 2 is fun and the graphics look great and I had fun playing it. With many different game modes and 19 unlock able achievements; Topple 2 two will keep you entertained. There are other apps such as DropBrick which have the same core element as Topple 2, yet lack the extra features Topple 2 provides. Ngmoco:) is known for producing great apps. I expect in the future they will provide updates to fix small glitches and maybe even expand on the multiplayer. For $.99 I would recommend going to the app store and clicking the purchase button.