roundup quandary: Deep Trip [Android Kids App]

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Deep Trip [Android Kids App]

I don't have kids myself, but when I came across Deep Trip, well, it's fairly obvious which market's being targeted. It's a pleasant, cheerful game with a simple learning curve and cartoony graphics. That being said, if you find yourself spending time with it, too, don't be ashamed. It really is quite fun.

Deep Trip is designed in the tradition of games like Helicopter, where you hold the screen to ascend, let go to descend, and try not to crash into anything along the way. Instead of a helicopter, you're a long, orange sea snake (eel, perhaps?) who is trying to find your way home.

While the concept sounds simple, it's actually deceptively difficult, especially considering how winding underwater can be, loaded with all sorts of pointy rocks and wrecked ships and whatnot. To combat this, Deep Trip places powerups throughout the level that afford you some protection on your journey.

If you collect one powerup, your little snaky eel gets a helmet that's good for one crash into an obstacle. However, if you collect two powerups (collect a second powerup while still wearing your helmet), you're granted near-invulnerability for a time, madly careening about, smashing through anything that gets in your way without consequence.

Deep Trip is also Papaya-enabled, which is a social gaming service that looks suspiciously similar to OpenFeint. On Papaya you can see your best attempts, compare your results to other people playing Deep Trip, add friends, check out more games that are using Papaya, and chat with friends you've made. It looks like a pretty comprehensive social hub, despite it being kind of barren, friends-wise.

If you're looking for a game to kill some time or quiet your little one, Deep Trip looks like it'll fit the bill. It doesn't even cost a penny, so it's at least worth checking out.

We've got download links after the break.