Exclusive: Hands-on with Worms on iPhone

It might not sound like a particularly surprising statement, but this is very much Worms on the iPhone. Having sat down with the guys over at Team17 and burrowed deep into the development of the latest addition to the popular franchise, that's about the most accurate description of the highly anticipated handheld adaptation.

What does any reviewer need to say about Worms, that hasn't already been said? Dissecting the turn-based artillery gameplay is like throwing stones at Mount Everest, but there are still vital factors that need to be cut in two with each new game, to see if they carry on wriggling.

We've seen the iPhone demonstrate a lot of very average graphics - often comparable with a mobile version - and we've seen it take on the likes of the PSP and win. Worms isn't a game that places high graphical demands on a system, other than ensuring that the invertebrate heroes are visible on the battlefield.

Being able to easily pan and scan using two fingers on the touchscreen means you can select and target easily while still making out the comical expressions on the chewy lengths of worm flesh.

It also packs in those graphical features that could cause a strain on a portable system like the iPhone, such as particle effects and water, but the framerate remains impressively high regardless of the randomly generated environments.

And while it's great to hear the explosions land and bullets fly, Worms isn't exactly known for its auditory splendour - other than the amusing retorts the warlike worms throw about the battlefield like joke grenades. Much of the game's download size comes from the inclusion of the iconic speech banks, which include angry Scots, Scousers and Cyber Worms.

Controlling your individual worms is a simple task, with left and right zones allocated on the sides of the touchscreen to move into position, while tapping and double-tapping jumps and backflips. So positioning your wormy warrior is a simple matter, and each individual weapon follows a similar, simplistic pattern.

Targeting is as simple as touching the screen in the direction you want to aim, although - depending on the weapon - you can also rotate a reticle around the worm for greater accuracy.

Trickier features, such as the jet pack and ninja rope, almost didn't make it into the game, but with perseverence Team17 has managed to fathom intuitive systems for every action the game has previously enjoyed - whether using a mouse and keyboard, joystick, joypad or Wii-mote. The touchscreen proves to be just as capable as any.

The randomly generated landscapes ensure there'll never be a shortage of maps, while the pass-to-play multiplayer (to be ultimately superceded by full online, wi-fi, 3G multiplayer, along with an asynchronous 'play by post' method) means you can go up against friends in a more strategic game.

All this adds up to as complete a rendition of Worms as any platform has ever seen, and brings us right back to that opening statement.

This is very much Worms on the iPhone.

It's not a cut-down mobile version. It's not a new take on the old concept. It's not been reduced to fit on a handheld device. The iPhone Worms looks set to stand proudly alongside the Xbox 360, the PS3, PSP and Amiga, having joined a strong pantheon of platforms that can now enjoy worm-like warfare in full.