Coconut Dodge: Initial impressions
I picked up Coconut Dodge on Weds when it appeared on PSN and I put down Freekscape temporarily just to have a quick spin through Coconut Dodge to see how it looked. Needless to say I haven't stopped playing Coconut Dodge since! :-)
I've so far only gotten to level 5-ish out of about 26 (with a score of about 59000) which has unlocked the first maze (on level 3), but my initial impressions are that the game is very addictive and great fun!
It starts out a little tough, as you only have a single life, but you soon get the hang of it. There is a reasonable learning curve - while the game is challenging, you do find that practice makes perfect and each time you replay you are able to progress further and further. The Maze Master game mode allows you to replay the maze sections that you have unlocked, honing your skills and practicing the mazes that you most enjoy (or need to get better at). This is important because you start from the very beginning of the game each time you die (you only get one life, which you lose if you hit a single coconut) and so you'll end up playing through the same sections many times over.
It would be nice if there was a checkpoint or savegame feature so that you didn't have to start right back from the beginning of level 1 each time you get hit by a coconut, but I've only just started so maybe there are checkpoints later on (but I haven't come across any as yet).
The game is very easy to pick up and play, with a nice logical design. The graphics are bright, clean & pleasing to look at. The music is light and enjoyable. It's a cute repetitive tune, appropriate for the type of game this is. The music is as addictive as the game itself - I keep finding myself whistling the tune throughout the day! :-)
There is a simple tutorial that leads directly into playing the game and teaches you the keys and main gameplay aspects (which are straightforward).
Overall, Coconut Dodge is a very polished and nicely designed fun game. You can tell that a lot of love went into the development and creation of this title. I definitely recommend this game. For £1.99, this is great value and highly recommended!