DB42

While DB42's Android Market description does readily admit that the game “uses mechanics similar to Portal and Portal 2” (namely, the ability to jump between points in the level), it doesn’t name-check the many other sci-fi influences - from WALL-E to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Sadly, while mildly humorous in its sci-fi reference-heavy text prompts, this rather dreary 2D physics platformer fails to capture the scintillating creativity of its inspirators, with dull level design, drab visuals, and cumbersome gameplay.

You control Dustbin Designation 42 (DB42, for short), a lowly service droid who’s given a chance to improve his station in life by completing the Cynobatic Army’s Advanced Robotic Training Grounds.

At first, turning an R2D2-style ‘bot with no arms into a military machine may seem a bridge too far, but as the game progresses DB42 acquires new technology to increase his power.

Initially, he can only use thrusters to move left and right (via on-screen arrows) or jump with a virtual button, but soon he’s able to attract and repel movable objects with either a short range Tractor Beam or a Repulsor laser.

These tools aren’t as fun to play with as Half-Life 2’s wonderful gravity gun, but they're serviceable for the majority of the ‘pick up item, drop it on a switch, open the next door’ puzzles.

The excitement picks up a touch when you collect the IRIS (Infinite Reality Interstitial Surface) upgrade.

This enables you to fire ‘portals’ onto surfaces to move instantly between different points in the levels. Only certain points in the levels can be used for portals, however, so you need to painstakingly scan surrounding surfaces by rotating DB42’s indolent rotating laser pointer and waiting for the beam to turn green.

While the IRIS ups the challenge, with some real head-scratchers cropping up in later stages, the lack of fine-tuning in the puzzles means you’ll regularly find yourself trapped in a level and forced to restart from the beginning.

Wall-E mammoth

DB42’s real flaw, however, is its languid pacing. While there are a five generous stages to complete, with 20 increasingly tricky levels apiece, Deeby’s sluggish movement, floaty jumping, and fussy special abilities conspire to sap your enjoyment.

You’ll need a spectacular tolerance for the restart screen if you’re going to help this robot complete his mission and, crucially, the dreary browns, greys, and greens of the levels (not to mention DB42’s charmless robot design) hardly inspire you to complete the derivative quest.