Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

We're not long now from finding out if the new Indiana Jones film is going to take us on a thrilling snake-filled nostalgia trip or make a mockery out of one of our favourite films series Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines-style.

So while we wait with baited breath to see if a 65-year-old Harrison Ford can possibly pull off his action man role again, we can, at least, bridge the whip-cracking gap by playing the mobile version of the film.

The game itself is split into two parts. In the first you play the fedora-wearing tomb robber himself and in the second, his young sidekick Mutt Williams.

In appearance these sections aren't massively different; they're both 2D side-scrollers filled with poisonous scorpions, massive swinging spiky balls and grenade-lobbing Soviet agents. But they play very differently, with Indy's sections based around fighting and exploration while Mutt's are full of quick-paced jumping.

The early levels begin with Indy on his quest through the Amazon rainforests to find a lost city of gold. These play like a traditional platformer but, because of Indy's inability to jump, with whip-swinging and grappling replacing jumping.

Assorted enemies and hazards spring up too, of course. They either need to be avoided or taken out with the crack of the whip – which is a lot tougher that it sounds.

For example, during the very first level we were reduced to the sort of anticipatory tension that made our hands shake thanks to some terrifying knife-throwing natives. As soon as they appeared on the edge of the screen they threw a knife which required you to react and duck within about half a second to avoid instant death. Later levels only get harder, with grenades bouncing after Indy and enemies patrols that require careful observation and sometimes ten or so attempts before you work out how to get past them.

There's no denying it, like Tomb Raider Anniversary, this game is tough. It's a challenge which, because the game is for the most part consistent and doesn't have huge difficulty spikes, might not deter more experienced players. But we pity any young Indy fans who pick this up after a bout on SpongeBob Squarepants and are promptly reduced to tears.

One related issue are the doors, which act as save points. These can be spaced far and wide, and if you manage to miss one, you're in for a rough ride because dying sends you straight back to your last save point, meaning you're left navigating a lot of floor spikes and bouncing grenades over and over again. Challenging, yes. Capable of reducing you to the mental age of a five-year-old, kicking a coffee table with tears in your eyes at the unjustness of it all? On occasion, yes.

And so it was that after being stuck one time too many, we were preparing to conclude that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had failed to deliver, big time.

Fortunately though, Mutt Williams then stepped in to rescue the death-prone Indy, providing levels which are a lot more enjoyable. As we mentioned earlier, Mutt's sections are played at a faster pace as he has to constantly move forwards and – even though they're just as tough difficulty-wise – this means they're quicker to replay if you do die.

Instead of a whip, Mutt's ability is to jump and it's his precise, not to mention neat, abilities at rolling and jumping combined with the heart-racing non-stopping action that results in hugely addictive levels. Like a rhythm-action game, you have to press the right buttons at the right time to successfully make your way through the levels.

Even better, Mutt gets his own game of sorts, too, in Arcade mode, which lets you play levels as him with a new goal of collecting coins to unlock Indy trivia. Getting all of them in the later section is about as easy as juggling mud but those with the mentality to doggedly keep trying will no doubt appreciate the experience.

Overall then, this is a game that doesn't disappoint but you shouldn't expect to play without every muscle in your body tensed for fear of failure. Essentially it's exhausting, although probably not as exhausting as a 65-year-old man attempting the stunts he performed in his 40s.

Yes, whether in terms of film making or this mobile tie-in, collecting ancient trinkets and saving the world certainly seems to be a young man's game.