Doodle Jump

Like a certain brand of reconstituted potato snacks, you can't just have one casual jumping game. No matter how intent you might be to limit yourself to a few bites, willpower always fails in the face of pure gaming gluttony.

There are tons of Papi Jump wannabes be had on iPhone and iPod touch waiting to be snacked on at 59p/99c a pop, but it's Doodle Jump you're sure to come back to. It may have the same addictive crunch, but its hand-drawn flavour and added features make it tastier.

By tilting your handset left and right, you guide a little doodle man upwards past floating platforms and enemies. The goal is to climb as high as you can, beating your previous high scores and those of friends noted as tick marks on the right hand side of the screen.

Each differently coloured platform has a unique property: for example, green platforms remain stationary, brown platforms disappear when touched, and dark blue platforms have to be moved into position.

Monsters serve as true obstacles that you to have to avoid or kill in order to keep your game going. Hairy snowmen, green blobs with multiple eyes, and bizarre bats all attempt to impede your progress to the outer reaches of the atmosphere.

While on the surface it’s hard to put your finger on what makes Doodle Jump so addictive, I’m fairly sure it’s something to do with the cutesy sounds and animations that look like they’ve been jotted down during a two hour maths lesson.

The addition of Facebook and Twitter to tell everyone about your highscores also adds a certain pride to the experience.

Despite its addictive nature, Doodle Jump is not a game of great depth, and nor does it pretend to be. Repetition is a serious problem, particularly given the need to start from ground zero each and every time you play.

The introduction of new enemies and boss battle serve up some variety, but like eating a big snack it spoils your appetite for the main meal. Bosses take up too much screen space, which makes them difficult as much as epic.

Getting killed by a giant UFO only to spend ten minutes playing to get back to the fight doesn't always make for a fun experience.

For a five minute fix while you’re waiting for the train or to just pass some time, it's an excellent pick - just don't expect this quick snack to fill you up.