Asterix: Megaslap Review

Slapstick makes the comedy world go 'round. It was the foundation of the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, and even today's comedians enjoy a good pratfall or slap in the face. Video games should heed the comedy call and embrace the slapstick. Luckily, a new iOS called Asterix: Megaslap may be the high concentrate dose of laughter we need. Lets have a look and hopefully a laugh.

Asterix is a long running Franco-Belgian comic series that started in 1959. It takes place in 50 BC with a village of rebellious Gauls as they take on the rule of Roman occupation. In true comic fashion, the main character named Asterix is bestowed with superhuman strength thanks to a potion from a kindly Druid. The series spawned 12 films, a couple of video games, and is still running today.

Asterix: Megaslap is the newest edition to the franchise and is as simple a game as you could ever want. Essentially, you're charged with helping Asterix eradicate the Romans with one well powered punch. Essentially it is another one of those, "see how far you can fling the item" games. But, Asterix does it with such finesse and style that you definitely want to give this a try.

Asterix: Megaslap looks great. The developers have taken the printed pages of the comic and brought them to life. The colors are lush, and the backgrounds are incredibly detailed. After smacking a Roman hard and into the the air, scenery of Egypt, France, and Rome whiz by. Each setting more cartoony and colorful than the last.

The gameplay is so simple that it is almost laughable. In order to help Asterix deck a Roman, you have to spin his punching arm, looney toons style, and release in the desired direction. With a thunderous smack, the Roman goes sailing off into the wild blue yonder. It is quite a satisfying experience. But, it is a bit too simple.

There are guards and Gauls littered along the road for your flying Roman to bounce off and gain some more altitude and points. This is all well and good, but there are too few for you to hit and you have absolutely no control over the soaring Roman. What would make gameplay even better, and add a bit of skill, would be to give you some control, say tap and hold the screen, to adjust the Roman's flight path. That way you could target guards, bash them right in the head and take all of their coins.

In addition to the wind up and super powered punch, you can deck out Asterix or his unfortunate human artillery shell with a number of power-ups. Everything from a cape for more stylish flight, to a helmet so his cranium can blast through Roman barricades.

Overall, Asterix: Megaslap is a wildly amusing and charming game. It captures the comic book vibe of the series and inserts simple and enjoyable gameplay. It may be lacking in a variety of gameplay elements, but it is well worth picking up and playing.

After all, who doesn't enjoy punching out pesky Roman invaders?

8.0 out of 10 arcade sushi rating