CTIA 2005 Alligator Exclusive Hands-On

SAN FRANCISCO--Alligator, by Aplana Mobile, is a Pac-Man-style game starring an alligator head. Instead of pellets, you gobble up portions of the screen, pixel by pixel. In the process, you must avoid bombs, which, once hit, will spew more junk for you to collect. The twist is that completing these levels in very specific ways will unlock alligator eggs (a play on Easter eggs), hidden items that can award you prizes--although the nature of these has yet to be determined.

Much like Pac-Man, Alligator's sole control is directional. You just have to steer the little critter until you've picked up absolutely every last pixel of swampland. Each of the game's 10 levels is randomly colored, and some are easier to see than others. For this reason, the last pixel left is automatically highlighted to help you find it. This prevents potential frustration.

As mentioned, each level contains an alligator egg, the discovery of which is contingent on your meeting very specific parameters. In level three of the beta version, for example, the alligator egg is won by completing the game in exactly two minutes. (Don't get too excited--this egg won't make it into the final game.) Aplana plans to award a prize to the first player to discover each alligator egg. After that, they'll post exactly how to get the eggs. Even with this information, these tasks won't necessarily be easy.

Alligator will come in two SKUs: with and without prizes. Obviously, you're going to want the prizes. There are 21 opportunities for leaderboard tournaments in Alligator. You can upload your best time for each of the 10 levels, your best overall time, and your alligator eggs, which total 10. This presents many opportunities to win.

Pulse Interactive and Aplana couldn't specify whether properly enabled handsets would support Immersion's haptic force feedback technology. Given Pulse Mobile's past predilections, however, haptic support is almost a certainty. Immersion has supplied intelligent rumbling for roughly 90% of the company's published pantheon.

Alligator is a very simple game that hopes to cater to the most casual of gamers. It remains to be seen whether it will ultimately prove as engaging as Pac-Man, its obvious inspiration. Alligator will be available by January of next year.