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Can Knockdown 3 (iOs) Review

 
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At a Glance...
 

Formats: iOs
 
Genre:
 
Year:
 
Developer:
 
Final Score
7.5
7.5/ 10


User Rating
no ratings yet

 

We liked?


Yes, it’s basically just cans and balls - but those cans and balls are quite realistic, with detailed backgrounds, a catchy soundtrack, and even a cheering/booing crowd to egg you on to can knocking greatness.

Not so much?


Higher levels locked behind "star gate".


Final Fiendish Findings?

Can knockdown 3 manages to take a pretty bare bones game and turn it into an enjoyable way to pass an afternoon. With realistic environments and ever more challenging levels, it ends up being one of those “just one more level” games that you just can’t put down.

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Posted May 26, 2013 by

 
Full Fiendish Findings...
 
 

You throw a ball, at some cans…why can I not stop playing this?

With an infinitely simple premise, combined with a somewhat addicting presentation, Can Knockdown 3 is a game that I am surprised to say I really enjoyed. The basic idea is very simple – it’s pretty much the can knockdown game we’ve all played at countless fairs and carnivals through the years. There are cans stacked in various formations, and you have throw a baseball at them to knock them down. While it’s fun for a little while, I really can’t imagine anyone wanting to spend any significant amount of time doing it. And yet…Can knockdown 3 had me doing just that.

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First of all, the gameplay is both simple to pick up on and quite addicting. Using a physics based mechanic, you must use precision and the proper amount of force to hit the cans just right. You are given three balls at the beginning of each round, but using less balls will result in a higher star rating at the end of the round, essential to advancing in the game.  Some levels do contain special cans that, when hit, will award you an extra ball – but these cans must also be knocked down, and often you’ll need every can you can get to master this challenging game.

One of the things that makes Can knockdown 3 enjoyable is the really well done graphics that are in play. Yes, it’s basically just cans and balls – but those cans and balls are quite realistic, with detailed backgrounds, a catchy soundtrack, and even a cheering/booing crowd to egg you on to can knocking greatness. Infinite Dreams, the developers behind the game, have gone the extra mile to make the game look really good, and goes a long way toward making it an enjoyable experience.

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The levels start out pretty simple – one of two stacks of cans, easily knocked down with some well placed balls. But the difficult ramps up quickly, adding in everything from moving cans to swinging platforms to some pretty convoluted can formations – all designed to give you a real challenge in both skill and puzzle elements. With the higher difficulty in can formations comes increased ways to knock them down. There are ramps that can be trampled, and even explosive cans that, when hit just right, can take down an entire screen full of cans. While there isn’t any one right solution, using the least balls possible is always a consideration.

Why? Because Can knockdown 3 is one of those games that locks higher levels behind a “star gate”. Basically, you’ll need to get pretty close to perfect if you want to unlock more levels. The good news is, you can quickly replay earlier levels, as many times as you need to, in order to take your one or two star ratings up to a perfect three. The bad news is, that can get kind of boring. While I like the idea of a challenge, I think a slightly lower requirement would be desirable. Completionists and achievement junkies can still chase their perfect scores, while at the same time making the game much more accessible to casual gamers and children.

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Can knockdown 3 manages to take a pretty bare bones game and turn it into an enjoyable way to pass an afternoon. With realistic environments and ever more challenging levels, it ends up being one of those “just one more level” games that you just can’t put down.


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)


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