Nutty Fluffies

While calling a game a 'rollercoaster ride' is a bit of a cliché, it's actually pretty apropos for a good number of iOS games.

After all, if we were to describe an existing title as an 'on-rails thrill-fest with twists, turns, and gaudy colours', we could be talking about anything from Punch Quest to RAGE rather than a physical roller coaster ride.

In Nutty Fluffies's case, such a description would be especially apposite.

In Nutty Fluffies, you take control of a series of roller coaster rides packed full of sentient stuffed animals. That might sound like a seven-year-old's post-candyfloss dream, but it's actually the basis for a moderately entertaining casual physics game.

As you start your first ride, you have just one key control to worry about: swiping the screen to the right to go faster or to the left to hit the brakes. This is important in keeping your fluffies on track and in their carriages - they have a nasty habit of flying out when things get too rough, Snuggle Truck-style.

Not that gaining a bit of air is a bad thing, necessarily. Indeed, you'll need to leave the rails if you're to collect sufficient numbers of hearts to meet the level quota.

In truth, the physics are a little strange in Nutty Fluffies. It's quite possible to flip your roller coaster over if you stay in the air for a while, but correcting it using the swipe controls never quite feels natural or instinctive.

More control mechanics are introduced as Nutty Fluffies supplies you with various special carriages. These range from rocket-powered speed merchants to magnetised ones that stick to the rails like glue. Making use of each only requires a single virtual button press.

There are actually a number of targets to reach for each of the levels across each of the four worlds. These range from playing with a certain number of carriages (you can add more with subsequent playthroughs or by buying them) to finishing with a certain number of animals still in their seats.

Not all of them are achievable from the start, so you'll need to revisit the levels multiple times to meet the specified challenge.

This is, in fact, essential if you want to play through the game without making any in-app purchases. You see, you have to purchase the right to unlock the next level, and completing level goals is the most consistent way to accrue funds without splashing the cash.

This in-app purchase system is a little irritating given that the game isn't free in the first place, but you can sail through the first world and a half without being tempted to purchase more coins.

The game also gets a little repetitive as you plough through its similarly designed levels. There's not quite enough variation, and the various goals don't really succeed at injecting any more depth or variety into the game.

Getting the right mix of animals (each type boasts a new heart-attracting characteristic) doesn't feel particularly strategic, either, and it's annoying that you have to purchase them for every round - both in terms of sapping your money and in hampering a quick restart.

Ultimately, Nutty Fluffies is a fun and polished game that doesn't quite have the level of addictiveness or depth needed to successfully counteract its repetitive in-app purchase-fuelled ways.

It's like a roller coaster, really - fun for a few minutes, but the thought of spending too much time or money on it isn't particularly appealing.

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