JellyCar – One of the best free iPhone games available

Once in a while a game comes along that is so original that you almost ignore the fact that the gameplay has noticeable flaws in it. Often times this brings about the classic question about whether it is more commendable to do something new or to do something established well. JellyCar deserves the medal for innovation, and even a few points for enduring gameplay.

The game works in a unique fashion. You are given a car that is then placed along a multi-surfaced playfield that looks as though it is being actively drawn by a gifted pre-schooler. Primary colors bring out the character of this game, which is inspired by the early days of playing with vehicle toys on hand drawn sketches of roads. If you press the right side of the screen the car will go forward, and if you hit the back part it goes in reverse. You rotate the touch screen to help adjust the view, which allows the car to go up and down as well. Tilt the screen just right to help change the wall into a floor so the car can essentially drive on all surfaces that are available.

The levels are incredibly innovative, each with their own character and visual style. They all remain constructions of an overactive imagination, but each one provides its own sets of challenges and rewards. Will you be able to make the jumps? Will a series of spherical dots give you enough support to get to the next ledge? This all highlights the image of the car that also looks as though it was made out of the primitive blocks from outside the doctor’s office. The gameplay really excels in the three hundred and sixty degree way that you can control not only the direction of the car but also the way that the environment is laid out in front of it.

The music does border on the annoying side, but the game tells you how to shut it off before you even enter standard gameplay. There are a number of levels and difficulty settings to keep you interested, as long as you like the gameplay to begin with. The character of the game goes all the way to the menu screen, which must be stabilized when using otherwise the block pattern will keep bouncing around the screen. The game can be difficult at times, but not so much that it detracts from its fun. For a free game without obvious ad supporting JellyCar is a great surprise that most people should try and check out. Seven and three quarters stars out of ten.

• JellyCar – Free [app store]

 

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