Who doesn’t like to blow up stuff?
Demolition Dash on the iPhone harks back to the arcade classic Rampage, in which a trio of monsters set about demolishing North American metropolises one tower block at a time.
And much like its mid-'80s inspiration, Demolition Dash proves to be a funny, fast-paced destructive world tour that is entertaining and fun for all ages.
Smash and grab
As expected, Demolition Dash stars an oversized hero, Zilla, smashing its way through eight familiar cities, such as Sydney and Paris. This big pink lizard runs from left to right, gaining points for each car, enemy, or building destroyed.
Zilla isn’t invincible, though. The monster’s tail sheds a piece every time a powerful adversary hits it. The game is over once the four tail pieces are gone.
To help Zilla complete its rampaging mission, it possesses two major weapons - jump and roar. The jump pushes the cerise coloured creature airborne and a double pump will make it rise even higher. The roar basically clears the screen, its scream taking out any obstacles in the area.
With this power come some restrictions, mind. A badly timed jump will leave it vulnerable as it comes down, while the roar also needs a few moments to reset.
Know thy enemyIn Demolition Dash you encounter three main enemies: bottomless pits, tanks, and police.
The chasms are obviously avoided by nicely timed jumps, something that gets more difficult as the platforms become sparse and complex. Later cities have three different paths spread along billboards, islands, and rooftops.
Tanks and similarly large vehicles simply sit there and wait for Zilla to run into them. They are eliminated by a strong roar.
The police, packed together in groups of three, are the most colorful characters in the game. Standing their ground, the little policemen shout futile warnings as Zilla approaches them.
Expect to hear them yelling something like “Stop! The police!” in French, Japanese, or what have you, based on the current city you're battering your way through – a hilarious touch.
The spice of lifeNearly everything in Demolition Dash is destructible. We’re talking billboards, cars, balloons, and tons of other location-dependent items. Your score is, therefore, based on how much havoc you cause.
What really makes Demolition Dash work, however, are the in-game achievements.
Each level has a specific goal, so, for instance, one of the Tokyo stages requires “deflowering” 35 cherry blossoms, which means roaring in front of as many trees as possible (if you thought “deflowering” meant something else, get your mind out of the gutter). These achievements are varied and interesting.
Adding to the variety in Demolition Dash are the sparse but well-designed power-ups strewn across the cities. Wings give Zilla unlimited jumping ability, while the little Zilla doll makes it completely invincible for about five seconds.
Demolition Dash is far from revolutionary, but it’s a good pick for lots of destructive fun at a low price. The colourful graphics, funny characters, and easy-to-learn gameplay make it appropriate for gamers of all ages.