Ever sit and sigh wistfully during a particularly interminable commute, "This just isn't me. I'm a doer, gosh dangit! I'm a (wo)man of action, adventure, and extreme savoir faire! Why should I be stuck to a filthy faux-leather subway seat right now, instead of taking an adventurous sojourn in the Spine of the World, trapping exotic animals and dodging abominable snowmen?"
Well, we at WGR can't bust you out of your professional rut, and recommending adventure travel agencies has gotten us into legal trouble recently--but we can tell you that Ace Yeti Trapper from Super Happy Fun Fun and Bandai will provide an entertaining, even enthralling dose of high-altitude gameplay.
World-famous explorer and Indiana Jones look-alike contest winner Jack Bivouac has decided to try his yeti-finding skills in the ultimate alpine arena: Nepal. To get his shot at the Big Y, Jack must first practice his trapping skills on lesser beasts, outwitting them and leading them into traps through a variety of maze-like levels.
Pixelated like a '95 arcade title, compared to most mobile-phone games, AYT is graphically polished. Your cartoony hero maneuvers around the rock-strewn levels with a nicely animated aplomb, swinging his arms like a manic Mario and laying traps with abandon. Contrasting background and enemy colors make gameplay easier. The sound effects are appropriately placed and unobtrusive.
The control schema takes a little getting used to, especially the trap-laying command. It takes four button presses to set and prime a trap, which will lead to a number of nasty run-ins with the local fauna at first blush. It takes an additional four button presses to airlift a trapped creature off the level, so you'd better hope your keypad has a durable "5" button. Nevertheless, with a few minutes' practice you'll be setting snares like a born Sherpa, or something. AYT runs smoothly, with no hiccupping or slowdown even on a crowded level.
AYT isn't a fancy game by any means, but it's addictive in an obsessive, Dig-Dug-like fashion. Because setting traps takes time, forethought is a must on the more advanced levels, which increase creature speed and maze difficulty. Before long, you'll find yourself muttering epithets at yaks and yetis alike, garnering the extra bonus of increased breathing room on public transportation.
AYT is a must-have addition to your game collection if you like maze-running games of any variety--and if it inspires you to travel to the Himalayas to look for yetis, as it has this reviewer, so much the better. We suggest you play it on a camera phone, just in case.
