Ms. Chuck the Ball

A certain British Prime Minister once said, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again." At the very least, work out why you were rubbish the first time and avoid falling into that same trap again.

Unfortunately for Chamberlain, his persistence couldn't halt Hitler fueling the most devastating war the world has ever seen. It has to be said, there can be hefty consequences when you get it wrong on your second go.

Ms. Chuck the Ball, however, is far more successful when it comes to learning the lessons of the past. Effectively a reincarnation of last year's Chuck the Ball, this follow-up rights the most important wrong of that slightly tame effort: dodgy controls.

The gameplay is identical. You control a football, this time of the female persuasion, darting through a maze filled with hazards. Beyond the first few opening levels, each one essentially acts as a maze. It's your job to guide the ball through corridors and avoiding spikes, all while picking up stars along the way.

What's different is just how you control the ball's movement. In the original it was achieved by placing directional markers on individual squares by swiping the screen. It proved too fiddly given the titchy size of the grid squares.

With this follow up, you direct the ball mid-flow, swiping the screen in the direction you'd like her to travel as she reaches the column you want her to head down. It's a much more immediate form of play. The fact you can swipe anywhere on the screen means any twitchiness is nothing but a memory.

Credit has to be given to Makeshift for responding to feedback that came from both critics and fans alike. Ms. Chuck the Ball plays as her predecessor could and arguably should have done. The levels themselves follow the same format of challenging you with navigating the ball through some tough and tight spots at speed, ensuring this refresh isn't any easier.

It is a tad more straightforward, though. Instead of a clock counting down, Ms. Chuck the Ball notes the time it takes for you to complete a level. Quick finishes result in hefty point tallies (essentially following the same set-up as Mr Chuck's original 'Freeplay' mode).

Also, you couldn't previously place arrow markers on squares with stars, meaning you had to skirt around the edges of the stars on some maps. With this new control method, you can be more direct with your route, saving time and avoiding any obstacles with less fuss.

In a nutshell, that's what Ms. Chuck the Ball represents: an almost identical run to the original, but slightly less fussy. Makeshift certainly made the right decision not presenting this as Chuck the Ball 2; instead, it's the simple yet sinewy puzzler many fans wished the original had been.

A re-imagining rather than a total reinvention of the Chuck's first ball buster, at just 59p Ms. Chuck the Ball is perfect for newcomers and loyal aficionados alike, proving that a second stab doesn't always lead to disaster.