Super Quick Hook Review: It’ll Hook You!
| App Name: | Super QuickHook |
| Platforms: | iPhone, iPod Touch |
| Publisher(s): | Rocketcat Games |
| Version Reviewed: | 1.0 |
| Genre(s): | Action, adventure |
| Release Date: | June 17, 2010 |
| Price: | $2.99 |
When we all discovered Hook Champ by Rocketcat Games last autumn, we were treated to an old-school gaming experience straight out of our 8-bit memories. It’s only appropriate, then, that Rocketcat’s sequel, Super QuickHook, comes along like Super Nintendo to give the 8-Bit experience a 16-bit followup. The result is a game that’s definitely super, though not quite as gripping as its predecessor.
The plot is … well, there really isn’t one. There’s an opening sequence featuring a hermit, a mining drill, a piece of stolen meat, an avalanche and, for some reason, a bear, but the scene is absurdist, merely an excuse for setting up more swinging action. Which is a bit of a shame, as I would have liked to have seen the tomb-raiding theme of the original carry through here. It’s an odd choice.
Once you get into the levels, though, you’ll stop caring about the plot. This game is all about the fun of swinging through landscapes, collecting coins, dodging gators, and keeping ahead of raging avalanches. And on this level, Super QuickHook succeeds just as well as its predecessor did, if not better. The main action of any level is still swinging via grappling hook, though you can land on the ground and run when needed (and even launch yourself one a board with rocket boots for when you miss that crucial hook). It’s a lot like Hook Champ, which is a good thing.
Other Hook Champ elements are carried through in the sequel, of course. The store is back, with plenty of purchasable items both useful (longer ropes, better boots) and purely fun (things like hats and even alternate characters). Open Feint is once again the venue of choice for high scores and achievements.
The level designs generally work, providing plenty of pathing options and lots of dangerous drops. Many people will especially enjoy the game’s Avalanche mode. This open-ended level combines the hook-and-go game play with a Canabalt-style run for distance, as you flee the white death of an avalanche. It’s a lot of fun and also very tricky, as the board changes each time.
Level progression can be a little frustrating as you get deeper into the game. Instead of merely unlocking upon completion of prior levels, new boards get unlocked as you reach certain scoring and achievement milestones. This makes the last third of the game or so difficult to unlock, especially when it begins to require things like distance milestones in Avalanche mode. It will be at this point that casual players tune Super QuickHook out; only dedicated gamers will likely stick it out to the end.
Visually, the game looks good. As mentioned earlier, Super QuickHook is 
styled like a 16-bit follow-up to Hook Champ’s 8-bit flavor, and the graphics are suitably crisper and more colorful, as is the soundtrack. This retro feel is something that makes Super QuickHook more compelling, and I quite liked it.
Following up a great game like Hook Champ was a big task, but for the most part, Super QuickHook succeeds. If you don’t mind the absurd setup, and if you’re willing to tough it out to win those higher levels (with more to come in updates), you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of this game. It’s a solid title and worth adding to your list.
Our Score: 4/5.
Super QuickHook is available for $2.99 at the time of this review. App Store.
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