If you were one of those kids who used to torture snails with a magnifying glass and a cellar of salt, then shame on you; however, there is a chance to pay penance for your sins with Save The Snail HD, a new app game in which you save the cute little molluscs from dangerous and threatening elements. The new game from Net Income CZ is set out in an Angry Birds-esque landscape with the stationary snails sitting on various platforms around the screen. You have to drop a variety of objects from the sky by dragging your finger over them, which will knock the snail into safety, cover them from harm or, in some cases, catapult them out of danger. As soon as you have used your objects, danger will come in the form of falling stones, trickles of salt or the sun’s rays and if you haven’t covered your snails well enough, prepare to watch hear them squeal in agony before repeating the level.
You can also collect stars during each play that will count towards your score; the difficulty of the levels increases as you progress through the game and you have to come up with new methods to save a snail from a hailstorm armed only with a pencil. The time limit function adds an extra layer of trickiness, as you have to assess the scene before taking action.
What I love most about the game is the same thing that I love most about Angry Birds – the noises. Instead of triumphant squeaks and chattering chirps, these snails emit tentative, “Uh ohs,” as they sense danger and desperate yelps as they are squished and splattered when you fail to do your duty. The animations in the loading screen are also fantastic, with a hand-drawn snail hiding in a gloomy cave. This is a simple yet challenging game that is great for whiling away the minutes when bored, testing your wits or making up for all of the cruel things that you used to do when your parents weren’t watching.
