Art of the iPhone

The original Jellycar was a surprise hit from Disney, a physics based racing/platformer that proved immensely popular. Jellycar 2 ($0.99, iTunes link) builds on the formula of its predecessor, with 30 levels and new game modes with a 99-cent price tag.

If you haven’t played Jellycar before, it’s a conceptually simple affair that feels like a tech demo that somehow became an excellent game. You control a bouncy, jelly-like car, and your goal is traverse a obstacle-strewn landscape to reach a flag. You can drive the car either left or right on the screen and pick up power-ups that make you float for a short time or make your tires sticky. If you tap on the car, you briefly change into a much larger version, which is great for traversing large chasms.

Coming into this game, one thing I didn’t expect was how damn hard it would be. The hand-drawn aesthetic, cute sounds, and music, and the fact that it’s a Disney game made me think it would be a simple but fun diversion. Oh man, was I wrong. This game kicked my ass. Maybe it’s just because I’m not used to it, but the levels seem devilishly hard (even on Easy mode), and one misstep means you’ll have to restart the round to try it again. The precision required is exacting.

If, like me, you find yourself rapidly devolving into swearing under those sorts of situations, Jellycar 2 has some sweet other modes. Long jump quickly became my favorite, as there’s something timeless about flinging your car as long of a distance as physically possible. Factory mode is a sorting puzzle, completely removed from the normal car game. You can also customize the shape and color of your car, and build your own levels.

Conclusion:

Blisteringly hard (for me at least), but excellently executed, with plenty of variation. We recommend Jellycar 2 and give it a 7.1 out of 10.

JellyCar 2 ($0.99, iTunes link)