I can’t think of any platformer more prominent on the iPhone than Toy Bot Diaries. I love toys, I like bots, and diaries….well, diaries are okay, I guess. But when you put them all together it’s exactly like peanut butter and chocolate: YUM! I enjoyed the Toy Bot’s first outing on the iPhone and was wondering what IUGO would do with a sequel. TBD2 had this to say for itself:

Toy Bot Diaries Entry 2. Toy Bot begins where he left off; climbing out of the dingy sewers and into a whole new world of challenges in the sky. Entry 2 gives you more levels, more content, more graphics and maximum fun! See why TBD has been called one of the best games exclusive to the iPhone. If you liked TBD Entry 1, you’ll LOVE Toy Bot Diaries Entry 2!

Wow. That’s a lot of more. But is it enough to warrant a sequel and your $3.99?

Story

I actually got more into the story this time around. All the story points I missed during the first game were re-capped for me at the start of this one. The interesting difference between this entry and the first one is the more aggressive stance your little Toy Bot takes. His mission isn’t going to draw you in like something from Metal Gear Solid, but he’s a character you can really get behind like a Sonic or a Mario. He actually reminds me of Wall-E a bit now that I’ve seen the movie.

Gameplay

But Wall-E can’t swing like this bot can. The thing about the Toy Bot series as a platformer is that it eschews the jump mechanic altogether and has you swinging throughout every level. Your arms can attach to any metal surface, and there are even more creative uses for this mechanic in the series’ second iteration. The controls are mostly the same as the first game: tap to swing from a surface, tap elsewhere to let go, and tilt to move. The only change I can really think of is the way your magnetic boots work. If you pull yourself all the way up to a metal surface (by holding down on it) your Toy Bot will now just stick to it automatically as his boots magnetize (this wasn’t automatic in TBD1). This frees you up to hang upside down from the ceiling and pick things up and swing them with your arms. I loved doing this to all the other robots in the game, and I’d just send them flying helplessly off of ledges.

There are a lot more enemies in the mix in TBD2. You’ll run into robots who will push you and bombs that will throw off your swings (so you’ve got to dodge them before swinging). It’s great to have more moving objects to interact with this time around, and that really made the game world feel more alive (despite everything being, well, not).

The variety of obstacles has also increased in TBD2. There are conveyer belts, floating platforms, and a level that is constantly turning so that you never really know which way is up. IUGO did a good job of making their stages challenging, but not cheap. There are a wealth of checkpoints throughout each level, and there’s always a pretty decent warning before the instant death traps reveal themselves. All of this means that you can focus on enjoying the gaming mechanics, and I think it’s some of the most fun you can have swinging without being bit by a spider. If there’s a level you want to play again you can always select one of the six chapters and play through the story mode again.

Graphics/Sound

Whereas the first game explored more real world locales, this one is mainly set on a space ship and has a more hi-tech/industrial look and feel to it. Our favourite Toy Bot looks and moves exactly like in the first game, though I still would like more animations if possible.

I really enjoyed the level music in TBD1  and TBD2 doesn’t disappoint. I think I recognize some of the tracks from the first game, but there is definitely some new music on some of the stages. From the atmosphere the tunes create I just picture everyone at IUGO sitting around in a lounge lit only by the light from monitors and iPhones, and they’re all just nodding their heads to this music and coding out the next TBD entry. It’s not the type of music you’d expect from an espionage-themed platformer, but it works!

Conclusion

I have yet to get my hands on TBD3 (hope to do that real soon), but I enjoyed the ~2 hours that TBD2 provided me. Considering the game is only $3.99 I think the length is decent, although I would have liked to see a few more changes in this second iteration. From what I’ve read from IUGO’s ads TBD3 could be the final hurrah for our toy bot, so I’m really curious to see what kind of note they’ll end this series on. Or maybe they mean this will end this particular adventure? Will we have other stories in the TB saga to look forward to?

I hope to finish TBD3 over the holiday break, so check back soon for more!

You can buy IUGO’s Toy Bot Diaries 2 for $3.99 on the App Store.