Crazy Monkey Spin puts you in the role of a crazy monkey who spins. I suppose you could have figured that out by the title. You could also have guessed that this crazy monkey collects bananas. What you may not have guessed is that for a dollar you can get a pretty large game that may keep you playing if you like spinning and snagging bananas to buy different hats.
The premise: your zoo friends (pandas, zebras, etc) have all mysteriously been locked in cages by an unknown caretaker. As a fearless monkey, you must free your fellow animals using magical hats that you can purchase with bananas you collect along the way. The controls of the game are simple enough to be addictive. Swiping your finger makes you leap in that direction and you can double jump. The hats are activated by tapping on the power meter on the bottom left. The sombrero allows you to change direction in mid air, the goo mask allows you to stick to walls, and the space helmet lets you float through the air. There is also a mystery hat that is attainable after completing the story mode. The hats are recharged by bananas once their power is used up.
The colors are bright and the level of animation is kept basic. The music has an island theme and the game boasts its own theme song, which will probably be turned off quickly. It looks and feels similar to a decent FLASH-based internet game. This not necessarily a put down, however. The iPhone is the perfect platform for this style of net-based games. In fact, many games that began or were made popular via the internet have become available on mobile platforms. The iPhone enables developers to expand on the concept and content of the game. In the case of Monkey Spin, there are 50 individual levels in story mode. There are also two more quick modes of play.
While there are plenty of levels, the gameplay is repetitive. The goal is generally the same: collect bananas, free animals. There are a few “boss” levels thrown in which add to the excitement, but it may seem frustrating to some controlling the monkey’s spins and jumps. If you have fat fingers it would raise the challenge considerably. The hats do make navigating easier, but that just serves to complete levels faster and not die as much.
You get a lot of game for only a dollar but you may find yourself getting tired of spinning and hopping. If you are unsure give the free version a try. You may find yourself going bananas!