SubscribeHello FingerGaming readers! I’ve been updating here for a couple of weeks now, but I don’t think I ever properly introduced myself. My name is Danny Cowan, and I’m posting here at FingerGaming while editor in chief Matt Burris is away. I also work as a freelance columnist/transcriptionist/layout-ist at FG sister site Gamasutra, and have written gaming features and reviews for a bunch of other places around internet-land. So, hi! Nice to meet you.
Now, embarrassing as it is to admit, I only joined the ranks of iPod Touch owners as of yesterday — up until now, I’ve ended every post here with a wistful sigh, wondering when I would finally get the chance to check out the App Store’s games for myself. But those dark times are over! My iPod is out of its box, I’ve fumbled around with it enough to figure out how to sync it with iTunes, and I’m ready to review some games.
- Rating:
- Price: $3.99 (Get It)
- Version: 1.0
- Official Site: The Dreamhive Animation Studio
Squish Squash is a game that pits you, a hapless cookie-lover, against an army of marauding vermin. Alternately, you play the role of a sadistic bug-killer, luring hundreds of unassuming insects to their squishy end. The game itself is never quite clear in regards to storyline.
Either way, there’s a cookie in the middle of your yard, and you’re not going to let a bunch of stupid bugs eat it. Using only your fingers, it’s up to you to save your cookie by poking, squishing, and smearing the invading insects to death.
Much of Squish Squash’s gameplay boils down to tapping the screen to squash bugs. Smash enough of them and you’ll eventually fill a bar at the top of the screen and receive a power-up item. Flyswatters, bombs, and magnifying glasses turn the odds heavily in your favor for a short while, but soon enough you’ll be back to making bug juice the hard way.
Smart squishing can also slow the insects’ progress. The bigger bugs can be dragged across the ground, smearing a trail of colorful entrails in their wake (ew) before they explode (EW). The creatures that follow will then slow down as they step through the sticky mess left behind. Other bugs aren’t as helpful, though — biting insects can drain your score, while others will hop around and make nuisances of themselves.
Squish Squash is fun in short bursts, and is bound to find an audience among boys with easily grossed-out younger sisters (the sound effects are especially convincing). It’s a shame that the controls aren’t up to snuff for extended squishing — often, you’ll find yourself tapping the same spot over and over while the bug underneath your fingertip remains unharmed. The movable camera only adds to the frustration. Taps can sometimes be misinterpreted as pinches, leading to unexpected zoom-ins and zoom-outs, and if you’re off the mark when attempting to drag around a bigger bug, you’ll find yourself spinning the camera around instead while your cookie is quickly devoured.
A lack of variety is a bigger problem. Squish Squash may feature 100 levels, but you may never feel compelled to play through all of them, since the gameplay remains the same throughout. Multiple difficulty levels help keep the experience fresh, but it won’t be long before the novelty of squashing bugs under your fingertips wears off.
Good game, funny article. Got the game three days ago and its a blast. Once you get the hang of it, squashing the bugs is funny and kind of addictive. (My kids are already sneaking my iPod Touch away to play it on a semi-hourly basis, they love the squashing sounds the bugs make). It’s perfect for when you just want to play something fun while you wait too.