Disney Fish Hooks Review

Disney has done it again. Based on their Disney Channel animated series, Fish Hooks is an addictive puzzle game with intense challenges but a clear vision for how to clear each board, guaranteeing you’ll keep trying for 100% on each level.

Each board is a new puzzle in which you have to get Milo into the tube and collect up to three apples along the way. The obstacles on the board are simple physics manipulators, but as you know from physics games, the simplest alteration makes all the difference.

The basics are bubbles. Milo starts out in a bubble. You can tap to pop the bubble, sending Milo through the course. You can tap anywhere on the screen to make a new bubble. Bubbles can be used to tilt platforms, guiding Milo left or right. You can tap on Milo again to give him a new bubble (useful for floating to high apples, necessary for some complicated Rube Goldberg levels).

There are turtle shells that bounce Milo around like a pinball. You’ll need a combination of rhythm and bubbles to float Milo around them. Deadly algae will kill Milo on contact, but there are anvils you can pop to crush algae. There are also anvils bouncing around to knock Milo out of his path, and sometimes you can only crush a little algae, leaving plenty on the board to ruin your perfect bounce.

You often have to have impeccable rhythm to launch Milo, tilt the platforms, crush the algae, move the turtle shells up and down as needed and pop a new bubble to get Milo to the tube. You’ll fail, but with a clear vision of the right path, you’ll keep practicing until you nail it. When you do, it will be so satisfying.

After you clear each zone, there’s a mini game involving other Fish Hooks characters. You may shoot baskets or launch anvils into a boss, but they’re fun changes of pace. Each challenge you clear unlocks a new character you can play, a treat for fans of the show but it doesn't seem to alter the game play. The levels themselves could be endless if they’re inclined to keep making more boards, like Angry Birds. They can also always come up with new obstacles to complicate things.

The graphics look just like the Disney Channel series. They’re colorful and adorable. Kids will feel engaged and adults will be wrapped up by the puzzles. The music is the Fish Hooks theme song which is zippy and peppy, but you won’t want to keep it on during the game. After two or three levels, it gets old.

There are fairly elaborate cinema scenes featuring exceptional voice talent. That’s great for fans of the show who are into the story. (They’re entirely skippable if you just want to get to the game.)

Fish Hooks is a perfect addition to the puzzle gaming genre. Just when you thought there were no more physics or board configurations to play, here comes a new game with a new take on things.

App Store Link: Disney Fish Hooks for iPhone & iPad | By Disney | Price: Free | Version: 1.0 | 45.4 MB | Rating 4+