Crazy Window Cleaners

"If you could see what I can see when I'm cleaning windows," or so George Formby famously sang about his exploits as a peeping tom. We don't call them peeping toms these days, of course (think more along the lines of 'sexual offenders'), but social mores are very different now from what they were in the '30s.

And judging by what goes on in Digital Chocolate's Crazy Window Cleaners, so is window cleaning.

For the purposes of a very solid and entertaining game, the developer has taken the seemingly mundane and thankless task of cleaning windows and turned it into some sort of extreme sport, complete with its own personalities, international following and league system.

As daft a premise as it is, this game actually delivers on almost every front. Things take the form of a kind of one-on-one race, with the action viewed from an isometric perspective. You have to abseil down the face of whatever skyscraper you happen to be tethered to, collecting as many stars as you go and avoiding obstacles along the way. The obstacles can be anything from simple obstructions such as air vents, to more damaging hazards like exposed electrical wire.

In addition, your opponent can hurl any plant pots or bee hives they happen to pick up straight at you which, if they connect, cost you precious seconds. Of course, you can return the favour and this combined with steering into speed boosts such as drop ladders, parachute banners and powerful fans that blow you down means there's plenty of scope for mastery.

At least the controls are kept wonderfully simple and command no more than three buttons, with moving left and right assigned to the thumbstick or '4' and '6' keys, while '5' doubles as obstacle avoidance and picked up item throwing.

The aforementioned collectible stars are also important and they come in two varieties: big and small, worth ten and 50 points, respectively. Getting to the bottom of the skyscraper first obviously means that you win but it's the points you earn for speed and stars that really make the difference between securing a bronze or a gold medal for the event.

And it won't shock you to learn the medals and other trophies that can be won throughout the game for various feats (saving cats, for example) unlock an assortment of extras, such as new characters, levels and power-ups.

Besides the Championship mode, there are various extras. Take Hot Seat, a turn-based two-player mode, and Survival, which sees you plummeting down a never-ending skyscraper until you or your opponent snaps a rope.

As is typical from the developer, the presentation is top brass, with fluid animations, colourful sprites and backgrounds, and a great world map from which you choose which skyscraper to compete on next.

When you do, there is the feeling that bouts are a tad on the easy side at times – beating the AI to the bottom takes no more than one or two attempts for each level. The real challenge here, however, is snatching those collectible-based medals and accolades, which takes practice and a considerable time investment.

All in all, this is trademark Digital Chocolate pocket gaming gold. It's an original, highly addictive, hugely rewarding and beautifully put together concept that, much like the skyscrapers featured in the game, is polished to a brilliant sheen.