Flick Nations Rugby

Even with prime time coverage, major sponsorship deals, and sporting celebrities in the likes of retired Johnny Wilkinson, rugby’s mud-splattered glory will always lack the overt glitz and glamour of the American NFL.

Still, with the RBS 6 Nations tournament in full swing, it’s no surprise that flick action specialist Full Fat has launched a tie-in game to capture the imaginations, and wallets, of mobile players.

But gamers who took a punt on the developer’s excellent NFL Kicker! at the height of the Superbowl hype is going to feel a serious sense of deja vu when they boot up Flick Nations Rugby.

The finger-perfect flicking gameplay is as compulsive as ever, but this is little more than a polished rugby re-skin of that title.

What you can’t fault Full Fat’s game on is its shiny presentation. Although the colours are little more muted to match the rugger vibe, playing in the latest strip of one of 15 of the biggest squads in the world does make you feel like you’re really playing on an international scale.

The character models even (roughly) match their real-world counterparts (England’s Owen Farrel is a tall man with short hair, for example) and are showcased in quick showboating cut-scenes after each round.

Meanwhile, the roaring crowds, flashing cameras, and realistic sound effects build up an authentic experience that will undoubtedly appeal to those caught up in the drama of the Six Nations.

With no passing, scrums, or rucks, Flick Nations Rugby puts all its emphasis on the team’s kicker.

Using Full Fat’s tried, tested, and beautifully refined flick kicking and generous after-touch system, the game’s main mode - Pressure Play - relies on punting the ball between the posts from further and further away, with an ever-increasing wind to ramp up the difficulty.

You get three lives to play with and can earn more for pulling off long streaks or hitting gold target bars that occasionally appear between the uprights.

There’s more than one mode to play, however, with the game’s XP system (in which you rise from Amateur to World Class player) ensuring that you give each one a thorough try before unlocking the next.

All of them play nearly identically to their NFL Kicker! counterparts, which is understandable - as the kicker’s role is similar in both sports - but will feel a tad uninspired to dedicated Full Fat followers.

Punting into corners, hitting the uprights, and aiming for coloured stripes are all fun for a while, but if you’ve mastered them before your enthusiasm is going to wane a little more than a newcomer’s.

Of course, the secret of Full Fat’s formula is addictiveness, and it’s easy to while away a couple of hours pushing for higher and higher scores until your flicking finger develops an unsightly callous that’s tricky to explain in public.

So its galling that the Android version is once again denied the online leaderboards of its iOS counterpart, meaning you'll never be able to show the world how amazing (or terrible) you are.

Flick Nations Rugby is undoubtedly a polished affair, but its still a just a re-jigged NFL Kicker! that smacks of Six Nations cash-in fever.