folsom addend: Amazing Alex for iPhone and iPad review

Amazing Alex is a "new" game by Angry Birds maker Rovio. I say "new", because it has actually been in the App Store before -- as Casey's Contraptions. Rovio purchased the physics-based puzzle game and rebranded it as Amazing Alex. It promises 100 levels of challenging fun, the ability to create and share your own levels, and the frequent, free updates that have made Angry Birds an enduring hit.

The premise of Amazing Alex is that you must help the imaginative whiz kid Alex create amazing chain reactions with the various toys and objects in his room. This includes shelves, balls, books, laundry baskets, springs, balloons, buckets, rope, scissors, and more.

Each level has some objects already on the scene and other objects in a drawer at the bottom of the screen to choose from. It is up to you to use these objects in a way that will achieve the goal of the level. The goal is indicated by circling the objects that must be moved and an arrow pointing to where they need to go. In the beginning levels, Amazing Alex will guide you through the levels by outlining where the objects should go and even show you how to drag them there. This means the beginning levels are actually extremely easy and borderline boring, but it doesn't take long for the levels to get challenging.

In addition to completing the general goal of the level, there are also up to three stars that can be collected. Many times, you have to re-think your construction and get creative in order to get all three stars.

As you progress through Amazing Alex, you will earn new items that will be added to the My Levels section of the game. This is where you get to create you own levels. Once you've created a level, you can upload it to the web where others can go to download it.

To download user-created levels, go to the Downloaded Levels section of Amazing Alex and tap the green Web icon. You'll be taken to a website in Safari where you can browse through levels. When you've found one you like, just tap on it and you'll be taken back to Amazing Alex and the level will be added to your Downloaded Levels section.

One of the other cool features of Amazing Alex is that your solutions to levels will be shared with your friends on Game Center. Unfortunately, Amazing Alex was released with a bug that was preventing this feature from working, but Rovio has since then released an updated fixing the issue. However, because of the bug, I have yet to see a solution from a Game Center friend. I am able to view my shared solutions, though.

The good

Great graphics
Fun
Addicting
Challenging
Requires creativity
Share solutions with Game Center friends
Create your own levels
Download user-created levels

The bad

Because of initial Game Center bug, I have not been able to experience solutions shared by others

The conclusion

I'm totally addicted to Amazing Alex. So much so that this review is coming a little later than it should've been! Rovio was smart to snag this one up and I look forward to the regular updates that I've grown to love and expect from Angry Birds.