Flick Kick Field Goal

I have little desire to be a sports star, but I have to say that the life of an NFL field goal kicker appeals enormously.

You get paid a pretty penny to sit on your backside for 99 per cent of each game, sauntering onto the field every now and then to punt the ball between a couple of posts. Easy life.

Flick Kick Field Goal replicates that easy-going appeal very nicely indeed.

Like Fruit Ninja, it’s a very simple game, with its long-term appeal lodged firmly in a satisfying, highly tactile control system.

Faced with a traditional field goal setup on a gridiron pitch, you must punt the ball goal-wards by flicking your finger upwards on the screen. It’s just sensitive enough to allow for a considerable degree of skill, without being so sensitive as to make it frustrating.

Still, it’s pretty easy to score a simple field goal, with power dictated by drawing an extended line rather than having to flick harder. The challenge comes from the kicking position moving back further and further (presenting a smaller target) and the introduction of wind, which requires compensation in the angle of your kick.

This solid kicking system is funnelled through three main modes – Arcade, Time Attack, and Sudden Death. Arcade could be considered the main mode, giving you three kicks at each line on the pitch. If you nail the third one, you get bonus points.

Sudden Death is your typical keep-going-until-you-miss mobile experience, and is great for high score play (provided by the recently arrived OpenFeint). Time Attack is all about speed, asking you to score as many field goals as possible in two minutes.

All in all, Flick Kick Field Goal is a worthy addition to the Android Market.

Admittedly, it’s a rather basic affair, and doesn’t provide quite as compelling a package as something like Fruit Ninja. Crucially, though, it is satisfying enough to keep you coming back for more – particularly if you have competitive Android-owning friends.