Game Reviews

Crabitron

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| Crabitron
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Crabitron
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| Crabitron

Truly great games all have a moment - a single, fleeting interlude - that simultaneously humbles you and convinces you of their worth.

Crabitron's moment came when the frenetic action and background music stopped and the RMS Titanic flew in from screen-left.

A crude parody of the pennywhistle theme from 'My Heart Will Go On' began, and I watched dumbstruck as the spectacle unfolded.

Then, without hesitating, I grabbed the ship in my monstrous claws and gobbled it up: Jack, Rose, steerage, and all.

The crab smiled, the music and action picked right back up again, and I was hooked.

Crustacean capers

Crabitron is a game that can only exist on a tablet, and it's aware of this from the very first prompt to start a new game.

As you take control of the giant, wrathful space crab you'll see each claw flanked by two dotted circles. Placing your thumb and an opposing digit on these circles allows you to open and close the claws.

You'll start pinching slowly at first, perhaps snatching up a single spaceship and slowly crushing it your grasp, but soon you'll be gleefully flinging your claws about the screen, deflecting missiles and snatching passing space limos in one fluid motion.

With the pinch-to-kill controls quickly mastered, you'll begin flying through the zones of Crabitron with equal glee.

Stop being shellfish

In between arcade-style levels you'll occasionally face boss fights and urgent challenge sections that underscore the absolute zaniness of Crabitron.

During one of these frenetic deflection stages, my wife - alarmed by my flailing and profanity - asked what I was doing. When I pointed to the game screen with some frustration, she asked if she could take control of a claw.

I didn't see anything about multiplayer in Crabitron's rules, but I figured it would work.

With her in control of the left claw, I manned the right and realised that Crabitron not only works well as a local multiplayer game - it positively shines as one.

Unfortunately, the fun with multiplayer ends with the upgrades as each upgrade you purchase will only apply to one claw (permanently).

As such, you and your local multiplayer partner will need to have a strong friendship to survive the inevitable arguments over whose claw should get what upgrade first.

Clawesome

If Crabitron didn't offer the unique, tablet-specific style of gameplay and controls that it does, it would easily be dismissed as another silly arcade game, but it's an enjoyable and fast-paced game whether you play it by yourself or via the ad hoc local multiplayer.

It has a few flaws that you're likely to encounter - mostly due to the iPad confusing four-finger input with its multitouch gestures - but such gripes shouldn't take away from your enjoyment of this terrific game.

Crabitron

The most fun you'll ever have with an intergalactic crustacean, Crabitron's a ton of fun that can be shared with a nearby friend
Score
Matthew Diener
Matthew Diener
Representing the former colonies, Matt keeps the Pocket Gamer news feed updated when sleepy Europeans are sleeping. As a frustrated journalist, diehard gamer and recovering MMO addict, this is pretty much his dream job.