Game Reviews

A.D.D.

Star onStar onStar onStar offStar off
Get
A.D.D.

For a game capitalising on short attention spans, A.D.D. succeeds far too much in its aim to be a quick distraction.

There's not a whole lot to hold your attention in this finger-flinging, handset-shaking collection of mini-games. Coupled with design fouls, it's just not worth tuning into.

70 mini-games are packed into three modes of play: Quick Play, Practice, and Hardcore. The oddly named Practice mode is at the heart of the action, your progress tied to the mini-game selection and unlocking Hardcore mode.

Mini-games are organised into channels, which can be unlocked by completing a set number of rounds of the preceding channel.

The mini-games themselves are toilet humour: nose picking with a pair of index fingers, pimple popping, ear cleaning, and even watching a rat sit on a toilet.

The issue with A.D.D. isn't the juvenile tone but the mediocre execution. While the majority of mini-games are easily understood, some aren't immediately obvious. One such mini-game entitled "Grand Theft A.D.D." has you hot-wiring a car by moving a pair of wires together to create a spark. It's not clear that you need to slide open a panel on the screen in order to access the wires.

In cases like this, the failing lies with the visual design of the mini-games and not the iconic instructions appearing beforehand. A small icon on the loading screen preceding each mini-game does an acceptable job of preparing you for the type of input needed - however, what you're actually supposed to do isn't clear until you've played a handful of times.

Of course, once you've learned a game it's a breeze. Except for those making use of the accelerometer. Omitting a calibration option forces you to play parallel to the ground during these rounds.

Even when accounting for the game's intended short-form appeal, A.D.D. features little to entice return play. Online leaderboards try, though unlockable mini-games, different modes, use of the camera and microphone for supporting handsets, and unlockable items would serve to hold our attention longer.

While not bad, it's a distraction from better IUGO games such as Toy Bot Diaries and Star Hogs.

A.D.D.

A.D.D. lives up to its name as mediocre mini-game compilation that won't hold your attention for long
Score
Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.