Author
Josh Cox
Price: $1.99
Publisher: ROBEN Software
Simple. That describes Elevators in one word. Based on the original Donkey Kong (you know, the one with ramps, ladders, and barrels), Elevators keeps with the same concept but changes the setting.
Instead of the ramps and ladders, Elevators incorporates, well…elevators of course. And there is no need to have barrels to dodge, the elevators are the obstacle. Although the elevators are the thing that will inevitably kill you. You can also use them to skip floors. The key isn’t just to get on an elevator when it stops, but also to make sure that it is going up. Nothing is worse than getting on an elevator that takes you back down to the bottom.
There are three difficulties ranging from easy to hard. The higher the difficulty you choose, the more elevators there are and the faster they move. Additional difficulty is added into the game by the use of trap doors that open on floors intermittently. Honestly, these are really aggravating.
The graphics are right on par with the original Donkey Kong. In other words, subpar by today’s standards. You play as a huge yellow headed person, dodging solid color elevators, trying to get to green ladders. Oh ya, there are white barking dogs running around on some floors, that give you more points when you catch them.
The sound is better than the graphics. But the barking dog will drive you mad after a few minutes. And if that doesn’t, then the background music (although catchy) will. Also, get ready to hear a bunch of elevator dings because every time one stops, there is a ding. Ding! Ding! Ding!
I think my biggest complaint about Elevators is the controls, or lack of them. There is one “button” and it makes you go forward. It’s a “run” button. So if you jump into an elevator in the middle of a floor and get out and hit the run button, you better hope you don’t have to stop for an elevator that is in your way, because you cannot. If you stop touching the run button, and are in the middle of a floor, you run the opposite direction. A simple left and right button would fix this issue.
The original Donkey Kong is a classic. Lots of classic have been remade and remade well, but this one misses that mark. It’s fun, but only for a few plays. With upgraded graphics and new controls Elevators would have a real shot at being a keeper.
Overall Value for it’s $1.99 price point
Overall Value: 2.0 out of 5.0 stars Graphics: 2.0 out of 5.0 stars Sound: 2.0 out of 5.0 stars Controls: 1.0 out of 5.0 stars