Star Trigon

Clearly the idea pool for new puzzle games is getting a little shallow, but the lack of workable ideas is, to some degree, being replaced by good-humoured surrealism. Star Trigon is a prime example; struggling to come up with a reason for the weird game mechanics then, in the end, settling for something only just on the sane side of manga-cute in an effort to salvage the gameplay.

Backed up by a strong sense of weird permeating each and every aspect, this works pretty well, and it's hard not to raise a wry smile when stepping into the space-walking boots of the Star Trigon Team.

This weird premise is still pretty thin, but the simplicity of play means it's not a particularly big deal since there's no story to keep track of, or characters that require much empathy. You're in command of an intergalactic space rescue team and, as happenstance would have it, there's an army of stray Uchujin (they look a bit like rabbits up close, and chickens from a distance) floating helplessly in space.

Choosing one of three playable characters (with an unlockable fourth member of the Star Trigon Team) you must take to the deep black and rescue the Uchujin before your small air supply runs out. The differences between the characters seems to be mostly aesthetic, despite each one being labelled as having an individual speed settings and air supply capacities. But we do love to see rich manga-styled characters in a game like this so there are no real complaints in terms of character choice.

Saving those stranded Uchujin is the weirdest part of Star Trigon, and the core of the gameplay. You move through space using a form of orbital inertia - spinning round and round a planet then using the momentum to slingshot you to the next one (by simply tapping the screen at any point). As you hurtle through space, your Star Trigon Team technology draws a line between the various satellite planets until a complete triangle has been created. Any Uchujin inside this celestial triangle are considered rescued. We told you it was weird.

The challenge comes from leaving a planet's orbit at the correct trajectory to take you to the next planet - a mistimed jump sees you spinning off toward open space and asphyxiation. Surrounding each collection of planets is a weak barrier system that allows you to bounce off it back toward the planets, although that particular section disintegrates after contact. Extra air, rocket boosters and other goodies also appear from time to time in each of the 78 sectors of space, which can be nabbed either by triangulation or flying into them and gathering them up manually.

The hefty number of levels are interspersed with bonus rounds and extra challenges that don't cost you any lives in the event of failure, but do give you the chance to hoover up some extra points and a space shuttle full of goodies.

Unfortunately, you're unlikely to make it through the massive number of challenges, though not due to the reasonable difficulty level. The overt simplicity, which pretty much boils down to jamming a finger anywhere on the iPhone's screen at just the right moment to shunt you to the next planetoid, sorely lacks longevity. The variety of planet formations and behaviour of the Uchujin can make for some mildly divergent challenges, but not really enough to sustain interest beyond a couple of hours' play at most.

Were this a budget title that only cost a couple of quid, it'd be far easier to recommend, but at full price the gameplay is ultimately too shallow to justify the expense. A shame, really, as casual gamers would undoubtedly pass an enjoyable, if forgettable few minutes circulating in space, but for that kind of money we need more.