Milton Bradley’s famous disc/chip-dropping board game, Connect 4, joins the great pantheon of EA-developed vintage iPhone titles, after the release of Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Cluedo and Monopoly.
After the glossy releases of the aforementioned titles, have EA been able to bestow the same production values to this simplistic but revered childhood classic?
Simply put, after years of imitators (“Four in a row†etc), iPhone Connect 4 is everything a gamer or child at heart could wish for – a fully comprehensive package for an unsophisticated game. From your first minute navigating the title’s menu’s, hearing the classic sound of dropping discs as you click on each option, you’ll be fully aware you’re in for a treat.
Aside from regular player vs computer Connect 4 battles, the app includes advanced modes such as ‘Max Score’ (which wipes chips used and continues the game), ‘Power Chips’ (which utilises special ‘blocker’ and ‘heavy chips’) and a ‘Challenge Mode’, which rewards quick-fire tasks.
Multi-player bouts are also provided via side-by-side screen-sharing, face to face battles, Bluetooth or online via wi-fi. To encourage you to try every mode, the game also features Xbox 360-style ‘Achievements’ for completing in-game challenges, such as play for more than five hours total – good luck with that.
Caution – giant red disc may not fit inside grid
Aside from the wealth of new features, some may be wondering if the timeless gameplay of Connect 4 holds up in the iPhone age – rest assured, the answer is a resounding yes. Every aspect of the Connect 4’s presentation is reverential to its source material, from the identical sound effects to a swirling animation of a board game being opened, which precedes each battle.
Of course, if you’ve never been fully convinced of the game, or believe it revolves around luck rather than strategy, this app will do nothing to convince you. For better or worse, iPhone Connect 4 is much the same game we’ve all grown accustomed to, and features the same unfortunate stalemates, when every chip in the game has been placed, creating a tie.
EA aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel with iPhone Connect 4, though I doubt that was the modus operandi to begin with. For gamers looking for a quick, uncomplicated puzzle and nostalgic fix, EA’s latest is a solid recreation of a humble classic.
Connect 4 is available to download from the App Store for temporary, 66% off price of €0.79.
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