Line Rider
Line Rider isn’t new, but it’s still being played the world over on every conceivable format. In a cross between Etch-A-Sketch and an 80’s 8-bit skiing game, you draw the lines on which your fearless sledge rider slides and then you let gravity take hold. Er… that’s it! And there isn’t a more addictive game out there.
Eventually, when you’ve got a feel for gravity and miniature line-drawn sledge physics, you’ll start to construct intricate designs, engineered both for speed, spectacle and aesthetic value. Aside from the ability, on most platforms, to swap tracks, there isn’t much more to say about game that’s captured the attention of hundreds of millions of players and become one of the most searched for games titles in Google history.
Why read between the lines when you can sledge between ‘em?!
I started the written reviews for this page, with an obituary of Call of Duty 4 and what I find amazing is that in an age of movie-like gaming complexity, a title that feels one or two stages on from Pong, can become a genuine international sensation. According to inXile Entertainment , the company who have ported this game onto commercial platforms, there are 11,000 Line Rider videos on YouTube. The average Line Rider video showcases a player’s track design to an appropriate soundtrack.
Some of the designs I’ve witnessed are extremely good – like, Leonardo Di Vinci good! Whether it’s your finger or the sharp end of a cursor, the experience of drawing and then testing your own track is rewarding. And what is clear from the Wii and DS ports (and to a lesser extent the iPhone version of the game) is that they sit perfectly with our current obsession with physical and dexterity-based gaming. Alongside Nintendogs, I would say that Line Rider is the quintessential game for the DS, with its slender plastic stylus and touch screen.
Originally the invention of a Slovenian university student and written using Flash in 2006, Line Rider is available on PC, Wii and DS and most recently iPhone/iPod Touch – but I recommend that you try the original and free online version at http://linerider.com.
Find out what Jason is up to on a daily basis on his own blog www.jasonbradbury.com
