iBlast Moki

When I was a kid, there was this amazing game on the PC called The Incredible Machine. The idea behind it was you’d create a physics-based contraption to complete some sort of test, be it to move water around the screen, or complete a puzzle. And while the physics inside the game were a bit dodgy, it was amazing fun. Since then, physics in computer games have come a long way, and these days the notion of real-world physics not being present in a game you are playing seems quite odd. iBlast Moki is another amazing iPhone game that has been ported over to WP7, and is highly addictive.

The essential premise behind the game, like virtually every casual game currently available on mobile platforms, is simple - the Mokis are little creatures that need to reach these portals, and you need to find ways to move them around since they won’t move themselves. This is where the physics of the game comes in. Instead of moving the characters around directly, you utilise elements such as bombs and and wheels to get the little buggers to roll or bounce in whatever direction you need them to move in. The trick is working out where the precise placement of said items needs to be to ensure the end result is what you want. Place the bomb in the wrong spot, for example, and the little Moki won’t go directly to the portal, instead flying off in some random direction.

It sounds simple, I guess, but really it’s equal parts exhilarating and annoying trying to work out which items to place in which spots to achieve the desired result. The physics of the game make it very fun indeed, and it’s hard not to become engrossed in a level that is quite challenging, requiring you to precisely manipulate the environment of the Moki to get this stupid little creature into the portal.

The graphics and sounds present in the game are cartoonish, and certainly this isn’t one title that is going to push the GPU elements of a WP7 device into any new realms, but they are pleasing on the eye. The little Mokis themselves might be lazy, but heck they are cute. I must also say, it is annoying to find another game where musical score is annoying - this must be another common trait emerging between the various casuals cross-platform games out there.

Overall, iBlast Moki is another solid entry on the Windows Phone 7 platform. I think I really am starting to repeat myself, but this device is certainly shaping up to be quite a solid portable games platform. Although right now the main thrust seems to be on getting various popular iOS games onto XBox Live, that is no bad thing. Games like this one are quite fun time fillers, and if nothing else by bringing these games over it reduces the reasons why someone should stay tied to a platform such as iOS that is seeming more and more dated as time goes on. Grab yourself iBlast Moki, and get some of those Achievements you know you want.