Not long ago, we received an email here at the JAMM testing labs from a new game developer, Lygue.  Lygue told us they had just released their first game, Bananas, and asked if we would like to write a review.  Well, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical.   We get a lot of these emails, and sometimes the games fail to impress.  I sat on the email for a day or two and finally decided, I am the usual games reviewer, I might as well check it out.  That was the last time I stopped playing the game.  I simply could not put it down until I had defeated all five bosses and recovered all of the totems of power.  But, I am getting ahead of myself. 

Installation and Registration: Installation occurs via the usual method.  Just download the game from Lygue’s website and install it on your device via ActiveSync/Windows Mobile Device Center.  You will have limited access to play the game until you register.

The Story: The story of Bananas reads as though it was written by Aesop (yes the fable guy) himself.  It takes place in a time when the jungles were ruled by wild animals.  Somewhere in the middle of this food chain, lived the monkey.  Most monkeys spent their time running and hiding from predators, and occasionally fighting back by throwing old banana peels at their adversaries.  Really, not much of a life.

Then, along came Filbert.  Filbert was a monkey who was simply fed up with his station in life.  He was madder than hell and he wasn’t going to take it anymore.  So, Filbert set out to face the rulers of the jungle, harness their power, and make it his own. 

Gameplay: Bananas is essentially a race to the bottom.  In each level, of this vertical scroller, you will start at the top of the trees and race from branch to branch through the maze until you reach the bottom.  Of course, the whole time, the screen is scrolling toward the top.  Don’t let Filbert reach the top of the screen, or he will be crushed.  Additionally, once you get past the initial levels, you will find Malus (enemies) enter the fray.  These start with tiny stars and ultimately grow to flaming skulls.  Don’t touch them or Filbert will lose just a little life. That green bar on the bottom left of the screen is your life meter.  Let it run all the way down and you will die.

Action in the game is guided entirely by screen taps.  Simply tap the point on the screen where you want Filbert to end up.  He will run to that point and stop.  The controls took a little to to get used to, especially since the D-Pad does not function in this game.  Once you get used to using only the stylus taps, however, it does become extremely intuitive and easy to control.   

Along the way, Filbert will find a variety of items hidden in the trees.  Among these items are:

• Jewels: Each jewel collected will partially light the lanterns at the top of the screen.  Light them all to become invincible.
• Bananas: These are your main weapons against the level bosses.  They will also help light the lantersn at the top of the screen.
• Magnets: Draw all of the bananas on the screen toward you
• Bombs: Destroy all of the malus on the screen
• Snails: Slow down the action
• Arrows: Speed up the action
• Stop: Everything stops except Filbert
• Superman Pants:  Filbert can temporarily fly
• Fruit: Replenishes Filbert’s life

I really found the gameplay to be engaging and fresh.  This was particularly enhanced by the fact that every level contained new elements.  Either a new item or malus (or both) was introduced, ensuring that the game did not wear thin as can often be the case.

Bosses: At the end of every fifth level, there is a boss.  The boss is a jungle animal who protects one of the totems.  The boss will always appear at the end of a level, positioning himself on a branch high above Filbert.  Bosses attack by throwing things down onto Filbert, so you will not want to stand still for long.  Throw those bananas you collected and try to hit the boss enough times to knock him off his perch.  Once you do, you will be able to steal the totem (below), which will give you some extra powers you can use later in the game.  Collect all five totems in order to win.

Difficulty and Scenarios:  Before you begin a new game, you can choose from three different scenarios (the aptly named Easy, Medium, and Super Monkey).  The more difficult levels will scroll faster, making it harder for you to reach the bottom.  Additionally, you can choose which scenario you wish to play.  When the game is loaded, there is only one scenario, however, you can use the level editor to craft additional scenarios.  I also hope this means that Lygue may eventually develop add-on packs for Bananas with additional, premade scenarios.

Graphics: The graphics in Bananas, like the rest of the game, are simply fun.  I love a game which can be enjoyable without taking itself too seriously.  This is exactly how I felt with the cartoonish monkey you must guide through this tree maze.  This ability to not take itself seriously is never as evident as when you must enter information into the save or high scores screen.  I mean, come on, have you ever seen a QWERTY keyboard quite like this?  I love it.  A few SIPS could learn something from this one (or maybe not).

Saving: Saving is extremely easy in Bananas, which I was happy to see.  Simply exit the game at the end of a level and it will be auto saved.  There is only one auto save slot, however, so each time you auto save, your previous game will be overwritten.  Additionally, at any time in the game, simply tap the red "X" to return to the menu.  From there, you can select save and store your game in one of the five available save slots.  Not only is it easy, but it also gives you an opportunity to use that SIP replacement I mentioned above. 

Level Editor: When I started playing Bananas, I admit that I was confused by the scenarios.  There is only one scenario, so why give you a choice?  Then I discovered the level editor (sitting right there in the main menu).  This allows you to build your own worlds, and then load them as new scenarios.  I really liked the idea of a level editor, although I did find this one a bit tricky to use.  Still, once you get used to the control, building your own world is extremely easy and can add a whole new dimension to the game.  I would love to see Lygue setup an online community where users could share different levels and scenarios they have designed,

Upgrades:I was not going to mention anything about upgrades in this review, but then I noticed the following blurb on Lygue’s website:

We are already working on an update. It should be available at end of this month (freely to customers who already bought the game of course). Features to come will be revealed very soon!!

Well, my curiosity is piqued.  I am always thrilled to see a developer who does not rest on their laurels, but keeps their software moving forward.  No sooner has Bananas been released and we are already looking forward to version 11.  And, of course, upgrades are always free.

Conclusion: I was extremely impressed by Lygue’s freshman effort. Bananas is a simple and fun game.  Despite my skepticism at trying it, I wish Bananas had been released about six months earlier as it would have made a fantastic contender in the vertical scrolling category of the Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Best of 2007 Software Awards.  I am also thrilled to see that Lygue is continuing to improve the game, and I am looking forward to the next version.  So, head on over to Lygue and get ready to "dodge, dip, dive, duck, and…dodge" all of the malus as you guide Filbert on a wild adventure, which is sure to drive you…BANANAS!

Vital Stats:

Name: Bananas

Version: 1.0

Developer: Lygue

Where to Buy:     Lygue

                          JAMM Store

Price: $9.95