Dark Nebula (Free)
Version – 1.1
REVIEW – “A simple concept taken a step further!”
Most people are familiar with this type of game. The basic object is to tilt your device to move your ball from one side of the map to the other. This game goes way beyond traditional “Labyrinth” games by adding all kinds of obstacles and having huge maps! Dark Nebula is probably one of the more fun iPhone apps I’ve 
played in a while and best of all it’s free for a limited time only!
One of the things that impressed me the most were the graphics of this game. From the opening menu to the in-game animations everything looks sharp and really adds to the feel of the game. When you open up Dark Nebula you are taken to the main menu. From here you can setup your game, check the global/local leaderborads, start a new game or continue where you left off last.
The options menu allows you to set several options for in game such as whether the sound effects are on or off, the difficulty, and there are also detailed 
calibration controls if you seem to be having trouble changing direction quickly. It also has a few other options, such as the ability to connect with your Facebook account to let your friends know how you’re doing, and whether or not to post your high scores to the global high score list automatically.
Once everything is set up how you want it then it’s time to get started! The first level is very easy and introduces you to basic concepts. As you play through the game there are lots of little capsules to grab, as well as a few big ones. Grabbing a
big capsule gives you an extra life while grabbing 100 of the little ones will also give you an extra life. One of the most innovative features in the gameplay is that there are platforms that cause you to jump up in the air. The first time I rolled over one I wasn’t sure what was happening. This forces you to think about a third dimension that is not usually used in a “Labyrinth” type game.
At the end of each level you are graded based on three things: how many of the capsules you picked up for that level, how many times you died/got hurt and how quickly you finish the level. You get either a bronze, silver or gold star for all three of these, and then your overall 
score is determined by which of the three you did the worst at. So even if you get a gold star in time and capsules collected, you still only get a bronze star at the end if you die or get hurt too much.
The actual high score list does not really use this “star” system though. The high score list tracks fastest times on each level. I really appreciated the fact that there is both a local and a global list because of how well the people on the global list have scored. That being said, it would be really nice if each person was only allowed to post one score on the high list. With the high score list like it is there are a lot of duplicate high scores!
The game itself is a little bit short, but plenty challenging. Even if you breeze through it on the normal difficulty, if you set it to “expert” it is much more difficult! While I wouldn’t pay a lot for this game because of how short it is (10 levels), it would definitely be worth the $0.99 that the developer was charging for it just because of the neat concept for this game. But don’t wait and pay for it. Grab it for free in the App Store today while it lasts!
- David H.
Download FREE VERSION Now!
Download FULL VERSION Now! (Free for limited time!)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Developer – 1337 Game Design
URL: http://www.1337gamedesign.com/
DEVELOPERS NOTES
“5 out of 5. It’s in a completely different league to anything else that I’ve personally come across on the store.”
- 148 Apps
“Dark Nebula is simply one of the best games the AppStore has produced.”
- The App Era
“All-in-all, definitely an amazing game. One of the best I’ve played on the device so far…”
- Touch My Apps
“Dark Nebula offers a very fun, action-arcade experience that we loved every second of.”
- Touch Arcade
“Impressive futuristic action game with edge of the seat excitement”
- Touch Reviews
“The game is drop dead gorgeous. Dark Nebula is all about the details, and each level is soaked in a thick coat of polish…”
- We Play iPhone
“Dark Nebula – or Extreme Labyrinth as I like to call it – is one of the best ball rollers out there.”
- Touch Gen
“5 out of 5. We found ourselves as enthralled with the gameplay as with the look of the game.”
- Appsmile
“9/10 – Da Bomb. The game excels in all departments, graphics, controls, gameplay, sound and fun factor.”
- Truthbombers
The best way to sum this game up is that it’s like a labyrinth game but on steroids. Just tilt the device to move your character through the levels while avoiding traps, opening doors, bouncing, sliding and not falling off.
Designed by game industry veteran, Anders Hejdenberg. Lead designer of many world class games, including Battlefield 2: Modern Combat.
Episode one is roughly an hour long with ten action-packed levels that will have you bouncing, sliding, spinning and swerving all the way to the finish line.
Put your skills to the test by completing the game with gold star results on all levels and prove that you are the true master of Dark Nebula!
Search for “Dark Nebula trailer” on Youtube to see the game in action.
Version 1.1
+ Calibration option so that you can play in different angles
+ New “Expert” difficulty setting
+ Post results to your Facebook wall
+ Compete against your Facebook friends
+ Global leaderboard
Download FREE VERSION Now!
Download FULL VERSION Now! (Free for limited time!)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
© 2010, iPhone and iPad app reviews. All rights reserved. An expedite fee may have been paid for some reviews. We work diligently to ensure that this does not affect the content of the review and strive to keep the journalistic integrity intact. All reviews are the personal opinion of the reviewer.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.appshouter.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png "Dark Nebula iPhone App Review"){kind=icon}
