Description: The sequel to the iPhone Game of the Year has arrived in style! Get ready to roll as you guide a massive cast of characters on a funky new quest filled with action and surprise behind every touch.

Developer – ngmoco, Inc

Rolando 2 – ($9.99) £5.99 – iTunes

Once again the finger is worshipped by those little Rolando’s in this sequel, which brings you to the Island of Fontanis where you must seek out the Golden Orchid in order to save the Rolando sages. Packed with many new and interesting characters you must roll, fly, swim and even drive carts as you work your way through fun and interactive puzzles.

The game has been pushed towards the casual gamer side slightly more than the original Rolando. I found in the original that there were the odd bits that got a bit tedious, where as I haven’t found this at all with this game; with the allowance to choose a variety of levels at any one time and to skip levels using your exit idol getting stuck in a rut is no longer an issue.

The puzzles are simple enough and navigation around the levels isn’t too complex; yet highly addictive. On top of just completing the levels there are the extra tasks of foraging for crystals, safely maneuvering your Rolando’s through the levels and doing so before the time runs out. The rolando’s talk to you as you roll your way though the levels and make you feel involved with the story.

Tilt the iPhone to send the Rolando’s along their merry way and use touch controls to drop bombs, draw bridges and move about the level as you explore and work out how to complete the puzzles. This iPhone-native platform truly pushes the boundaries of what the iPhone has to offer.

The puzzles have become much more advanced with Rolando’s that come in all shapes and sizes with varying qualities such as ones that can fly and some that can either sink or float in water. With the inclusion of Plus+ you can now earn rewards and share scores with friends making Rolando 2 one of a growing array of games to do so. Plus+ is described as a part social network, part gamer network and gives the opportunity to compete against the world … or just your friends. Another new experience to the world of Rolando is weapons to destroy the enemies. Now you can shoot, drown and explode the enemies so that nothing can stand in your way.

Rolando 2 has this elegant and smooth mix between 2D and 3D. This 2.5D environment along with the art work and funky music wraps the game up perfectly.

Pros

  • Ability to skip difficult levels
  • Fantastic price for such a high quality game
  • Plus+ network adds a whole new challenge to iPhone games
  • New features that add a whole new experience to Rolando
  • Seamless quality that has been built upon in this sequel

Cons

  • Irritatingly faultless

Verdict

If you only buy one game for the iPhone this year then this has to be it. I believe that nobody would find this game a disappointment. A beautiful game with addictive gameplay always leaving you wanting more.