Nimble Quest Review

Snake was a legendary game that we’ve all spent countless hours playing. It tapped into something primal and repetitive in our nature. Maybe we just wanted to feed that damn snake. Whatever the reason, that simple little game made an indelible mark on many gamers’ lives. There’s a new game out that hopes to capture that same magic of Snake, but put a new spin on the tired old proceedings. Will Nimble Quest devour all other App Store titles to be the gargantuan leviathan of the iOS? Or will it turn too sharply, run into itself, and die a horrible death? Let’s find out together shall we?

The creators of Tiny Tower know how to make a solid iOS game. So, in their capable hands, they’ve turned a veritable trope of simple gameplay into one of the most ingenious and fun little games I’ve seen in a very long time. Nimble Quest is what you would get if Snake ate some bits from The Legend of Zelda.

You basically start with one warrior who constantly marches forward. Your job is to direct him into battle with baddies in order to collect more warriors to follow in his wake and help destroy all of the evil minions in the level. Each warrior has their own attack and is a welcome addition to any conga line of roving adventurers.

Nimble Quest oozes unique charm from its 8-bit art style. It isn’t overdone to the point that you can’t tell the difference between the characters and their surrounding, but it is just enough of a veneer to get your nostalgia sensors up and buzzing. The graphics are sharp and look really great on the retina display. Each level pops right off the screen and makes you feel like you’re playing a much larger game.

The character design is equally well crafted. Each warrior has their own costume to help you distinguish the type of attack they have at their disposal. Most of them are obvious. The knight swings a sword in a wide arc, and the guy dressed in a green cloak shoots a bow and arrow like Robin Hood. It is quite enjoyable watching your little band of merry followers expand into all sorts of interesting characters. You begin to start wondering as to their back stories and how they got into the habit of following others so precisely.

The controls are as simple as could be and as responsive as you’d expect from a developer with some game design already under their belt. All you have to do is swipe in the direction you want your lineup of warriors to proceed, and they obediently oblige without thought for either their safety or the safety of the others behind them. Essentially, the controls are so good that you can’t blame the game if your band of heroes goes splat into a wall.

Even the music in Nimble Quest is absolutely stellar. It is a welcome sound to coincide with your endless rounds in pursuit of that high score. It has that tiny ring of old school games, but it is well orchestrated enough not to get too repetitive and grating. Each level has its own theme for you to enjoy and it compliments the design very well.

You might think that an endlessly repetitive game like Nimble Quest would get, well, repetitive. But, somehow, it doesn’t. Each time you tap that play button, you’re actually excited to see something new. The enemies are never the same and each level offers up more challenges each time you play. The power ups you’re offered can be upgraded and enhanced to make the game even more fun. Plus, since it is a game built around a high score, of course there is a leader-board for you to try and claw your way to the top of. Then you can gloat to your friends how nimble your fingers actually are.

At its core, Nimble Quest is a brand new take on and old school game. It is fresh, fun, and it works astoundingly well. Nimble Quest hits all the right nostalgia notes while still introducing you to a brand new way to play on the iOS. It is a game that puts a smile on your face and a twitch in your thumbs. Nimble Quest is a game that will be sitting in a coveted spot on my home screen for a long while to come.

App Store Link: Nimble Quest for iPhone and iPad | By Nimble Bit LLC | Price: $0.99 | Version: 1.0 | 32 MB | Rating 9+