Bobby Carrot 3: Evolution

Some games just don't know how to sell themselves, so while the concept of a snorkelling bunny doesn't provide an obvious hook of what kind of game you can expect in Bobby Carrot 3, its maze-based antics certainly deliver a thumb-achingly addictive puzzler, brimming with that elusive 'just one more go' quality.

It's holiday time for the maze-wandering Bobby, and the water's simply too blue for him to stay on land. But while the furrows and pathways of his tropical resort provide a fair amount of navigational conundrums, it's the new frontier of underwater exploration that takes Bobby Carrot 3: Evolution far beyond its seemingly mundane title.

You're eased into Bobby's summertime adventures steadily, with the first set of levels providing warm, shallow waters in which to paddle while your thumbs find their way around the simple controls. The usual '2', '6', '8' and '4' keys usher the rascally rodent around the screen, while the action button ('5') enables a bit of free-screen movement to scope out the surrounding area.

Bobby Carrot's movements must follow a very specific path, you see, and as the levels progress a few moments of careful consideration are required before you commit him to a route. To complete each level you must gather up all of the energy stars, navigating the narrow pathways of the game's treacherous holiday resort in as few steps, and as little time, as possible.

These trails are laced with booby traps that shoot spikes from the ground or change to block the way as you pass by, so a specific (and not always initially obvious) route must be taken to make sure all the stars are collected. Coloured locks also bar your way at the most inconvenient junctures, so careful consideration must be given to acquiring the appropriate key en route.

To add to your woes, you've also got to find a set of snorkelling gear and head for the sea bed – gathering up submerged stars wherever you can find a suitable path into the brine. Coupled with slick lily pads that act as unstoppable, single-direction surf boards, many of the apparently simple mazes can take a few attempts to successfully navigate.

This is perhaps one of the stumbling blocks for Bobby Carrot 3, however. While the repetitive gameplay of the levels is expected, the difficulty from one to the next often seems quite random. An idle saunter through shrubbery and shallow waters can suddenly change to a minefield of brain-twisting physical enigmas.

Fortunately, the screen is uncluttered enough so even the smallest handset will allow for clear viewing, and the ability to move the camera independently of the trapped rodent means you can plan your course before committing yourself to a one-way path. The score related time-limit adds just enough urgency to keep you from scratching your head at the starting gates for too long.

Simple and audaciously entertaining, this game has a decent assortment of challenges that will allow you to while away a fair few minutes with some laudable long-eared larks.