Game Reviews

Ice Cream Nomsters

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Ice Cream Nomsters

Do you remember that bit in Cannonball Run when Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise are trying to think of a clever disguise for their motor, and Dom shouts, to Burt's disapproval, "Ooo! An ice cream truck! An ice cream truck!"?

Ice Cream Nomsters is kinda like that.

It's a line-drawing game, crossed with time management, that considers ice cream a matter of urgency, and while the gameplay does everything it promises, it's hard to really get behind the game's thin concept.

You want a flake with that?

As the owner and driver of an ice cream van, it's up to you to keep the houses around the tiny towns stocked up with your delicious frozen goodies. These towns aren't complicated places, with the houses displaying an ice cream symbol above their roofs/faces (these are smiling, happy houses) when they're ready for a delivery.

Your first stop is to load up with the produce at the ice cream shop and plot a delivery route that's as efficient as possible. Initially the truck can only carry three lots of ice cream before you need to return to base and restock, so building regular visits to the store into your route is essential.

Money isn't collected automatically either, so you need to keep an eye out for the coins left outside each drop off in Ice Cream Nomsters if you want to reap the points you've technically already scored.

All of this is set against a timer, which details just how long you've got left before all your ice cream has melted, and the day's business is over.

No sprinkles.

And that's about it. Ice Cream Nomsters isn't a deeply involving game, which, combined with its sweet-toothed premise, actually makes it a good choice for younger players.

The controls belie that to some small degree, as the line-drawing can be a bit fiddly.

As the action heats up (as much as it ever heats up) you find yourself planning routes quite far in advance, and the game is quite happy to let you do that. So you can schedule extended routes around the roads that include stopping off at the shops to refill, which seems to be a decent tactic for keeping things moving.

But should you decide to reroute all of a sudden, it can prove irksome trying to get the van to switch to your new destination. It either carries on as previously directed, or stops dead, and the timer isn't really forgiving enough for moments of accidental inactivity.

There are good reasons to stay proactive with your driving in Ice Cream Nomsters as power-ups regularly appear in the middle of the road that can significantly improve your game, such as temporarily speeding up the truck or cooling down the goods.

This is a good game, and will appeal to a certain uber-casual crowd that aren't looking for anything that makes their thumbs ache, and just the right age of young gamer will enjoy it as a step toward more adventurous fare.

Outside of those niche demographics the ice cream might prove a little too flavourless to be worth chasing the van down the street for.

Ice Cream Nomsters

Like the ice cream van you're put in charge of, Ice Cream Nomsters doesn't carry very much produce, but what there is of it has a pleasant aftertaste
Score
Spanner Spencer
Spanner Spencer
Yes. Spanner's his real name, and he's already heard that joke you just thought of. Although Spanner's not very good, he's quite fast, and that seems to be enough to keep him in a regular supply of free games and away from the depressing world of real work.