Flicking the screen sets Space Monkey off spinning

Tag : spinning linen
So already Space Monkey is off to a surreal good start, as it lampoons the danger of spacetravel in a most entertaining way.

It's also very likely that, once we do start spending more time inspace, it'll quickly fill up with debris, junk, pop cans and crisppackets, so we're going to need some form of intergalactic bin mento pick up after us. And that's precisely what you'll be practicingin Space Monkey  outer space refuse administration.

Floating through the cold black, our heroic little astro-monkeysits in the centre of the iPhone's gorgeous screen, only able torotate in either direction.

By sliding your finger around him, Space Monkey turns in 45-degreeincrements with his arms and legs spread-eagled. Various forms ofrubbish float past, and by aligning his hands and feet with thejunk, you can grab it and add it to each level's quota.

Mixed in an amongst the harmless litter are batteries that lend youa nasty shock if grabbed, so you must also be careful to spot themcoming and make sure Space Monkey's hands and feet allow them tofloat by untouched.

A remarkably simple premise that initially feels far too limited toharbour much entertainment, but as the subtleties of play come intofocus it really grabs your enthusiasm bone and tickles it intosubmission.

For instance, there are some items that can only be grabbed withthe hands (bowling pins), and other that only your feet can snatch(such as old socks). Ice cream and doughnuts coast past toreplenish your energy if you can get Monkey's gob around them,while at other times too many batteries to dexterously avoid willhurtle towards you.

When this happens, flicking the screen sets Space Monkey off spinning, and any objects shooting toward him will be deflected.Leave him spinning for too long, however, and he voms up bananachunks into his helmet.

As you improve your refuse administration duties, you can start toshow off and earn a few extra points. Grab hold of a passing yo-yoand Space Monkey will play with it while spinning through space,and extra points are awarded for keeping it going as long aspossible. And, if a few juggling balls happen to glide past hisfeet, you can snatch them up and start foot-juggling  again,earning points as long as you can keep them going.

It's quite a wonderful spectacle seeing a cartoon monkey spinningthrough orbit in a children's spacesuit, juggling five balls withhis feet while playing with a yo-yo and grabbing litter with hisfree hand.

It's moments like those that keep you playing, and any frustrationfelt at the slightly unresponsive controls is quickly forgiven whenthe chimp gracelessly grandstands at the end of a successful level.

And it's games like this that remind us why we love the pocketplatforms. What initially seems to be limited and overly simplisticunfolds to demonstrate subtle depths of intricate gameplay. Out ofthis world.