Rope Rescue HD

Angry Birds is truly the mobile game that launched a thousand imitators, and Cut the Rope is fast catching up with it.

Universal app Rope Rescue HD borrows from both games by making birds the heroes and rope the physics tool. It's a promising combination of influences, but the very average gameplay keeps it at me-too status.

As the comic book narrative explains, an ugly bat wants to steal feathers from colourful birds so that it can look pretty. Using a long rope, you have to free your fellow birds by pulling on their cages.

The rope has to twist around rolling cylinders, which can pull it every which way, avoiding fire, bats, knives, and other obstacles. You're ranked up to three stars (actually, feathers) based on how much time and rope you've used.

The touchscreen controls are solid, with the bright characters having a waxy, almost Claymation feel to them.

There are lots of levels here spread across several worlds. However, even with the variety, the stages begin to feel like the same experience fairly quickly.

There are some twists, like catching butterflies to unlock difficult levels early, but there are far too few to keep you interested. The so-so visuals and the elevator music don’t help the experience.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Rope Rescue HD, and those jonesing for another undemanding casual iOS title won't be disappointed. The real problem is that everything here is completely average, from the graphics to the gameplay.

There are plenty of better, more original games that do the three-star-puzzle genre better.