Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

I’ve been trying to take my time with Portrait of Ruin and really savor the experience, because I was really looking forward to the game, but I’ve been having the same problem that I keep having with these games. That is to say that the larger they get, the less attention is paid to the difficulty level. And this really hurts, because the graphics in this game are just breathtaking.

The problem with the clash of difficulty level and the quality of the graphics and sound is they work counter to each other. How can I really appreciate just how intricately and superbly designed the audio and visuals are in this game when they’re just blowing past me with no regard for if I’m even really trying?

I’ve tried to rationalize that I’m just too good at it, but even taking that into account, how hard would it have been to incorporate a difficulty setting in the game? I’m making a resolution at this time that the first time I buy a Castlevania game with a difficulty control, I’m pumping it way up and fighting hard the whole way through.

Challenge aside, I don’t think the two-character system works the way it’s implemented here. The level design requires you to spring off your sidekick’s head more often than anything else, and at least this far, I’ve had no use for a second character in any of the boss battles, so such an extent that sometimes I just “put her away” so she won’t distract me. I don’t know if that would be any different if I played it with someone else who’s just as manic about the game as me, but if I can manage that you can be sure I’ll incorporate it into my final review when I’m through the game.

The storyline is pretty smart and I like how it’s moving so far, but the localization is atrocious. I get the impression that there might be some good writing under there if they could hire someone who speaks both languages to work it out. When Simon’s Quest came out on the NES, you were collecting Dracula’s body parts. When you picked one up, it actually said, “YOU NOW PROSSESS DRACULA’S RIB.” Or eye, or whatever part it was. Konami has not come far enough from that with their Castlevania localizations, and at times you have no idea what the characters are supposed to be saying, even once you get past the resentful-young-woman-who-hates-being-called-girl clich?