I came into reviewing Connect 4 ($2.99, iTunes link) with fairly low expectations. I mean, it’s Connect 4, what could you possibly do to get it wrong? Or get it right? However, after playing the game, I’m damned impressed with the time and effort EA has put into making it. It has surprisingly nice graphics and animations, and besides the classic style of play, there are a handful of game modes, bonuses, and features that put a fresh twist on gameplay. But none of that changes the fact that, at its core, it’s still Connect Four, Tic-Tac-Toe‘s ungainly cousin. You’re not going to find anything here that will bring you to love the game if you weren’t already a fan.

The most striking feature of this app is the amount of graphical flair EA have shoved into such a simple game. It could have been decidedly bare-bones, but instead the board is rendered in 3D, it rotates and flips. The individual chips are stacked on your side, and a nice animation shows each as it is taken off the top for every move. If you’re playing two players locally, every time it switches between contestants, the screen inverts so you can sit head-to-head. None of these effects are game changing, but they do serve to make an otherwise boring game look far more exciting. Our only complaint is the entire interface is bright red and yellow, a garish combination that reminds us of the infamous “hot dog stand” theme for Windows 3.1.

There are also a number of game modes, beyond what I ever thought possible for Connect 4. The mode called Max Score plays like Tetris in that connecting four chips increases your score, and after you connect 4, the chips disappear, and you keep playing and making connections until time runs out. The mode Power Chips replaces some of the chips with power ups, which modify play and the field dramatically. The mode Pop Out lets you remove the bottom chip from a column, sending everything down a row.

Connect 4 lets you either play against the computer, or multiplayer over Wi-Fi, bluetooth or local. There are even two different varieties of local, depending on how you’re sitting from your opponent: side by side or face to face. Connect 4 is much better when played against a real person, so these options are all great. However, if you don’t want to have to deal with real human beings, you can always play against the computer. Who kicked my butt, even on easy mode.

Conclusion

The real question with this game is if the $2.99 asking price is worth it, when there are many cheaper—or even free—versions of the game out there. Given the huge amount of graphical polish, plentiful gameplay modes, and easy multiplayer, we say yes. If you just want to play the basic game, you might find a cheaper version, but EA have done plenty to add value to their version of the classic board game. We recommend Connect 4 and give it a 7.3/10.

Connect Four is a $2.99 download from the iTunes App Store.