Regular Show: Ghost Toasters Review

What sets apart a good game from a great game? Character. Think of all the greatest games you've played and notice how each and everyone of them has their own distinct style and character. You could look at your shelf of cases and remember the good times you had with each of them just like they were your best friends. In the onslaught of weekly iOS offerings, character is what sets apart this shooter from that one or that platformed from the next. Being functional is no longer good enough. Thankfully, the creative people over at Cartoon Network have graced us with a new title. Let's check out Regular Show: Ghost Toasters.

If you're familiar with any of Cartoon Network's shows or games, you'll already know that each one oozes wackiness, absurdity, and fun. You never quite know what you're going to get when you tap open a new game from those zany minds. Regular Show: Ghost Toasters is no exception. From the moment you load it up, the Ghost Toasters is an onslaught of silly fun from every corner. They've taken the aesthetics of the animated show and brought it to life with you in control.

Ghosts have been out and about haunting and doing whatever else it is that ghosts do. It is up to Mordecai, Rigby, and 11 other characters to put the marauding spirits to rest. They have an assortment of weaponry at their disposal to help you make short work of any invading ghosts.

Ghost Toasters is reminiscent of arena type games where you have to kill all the baddies within a small level. You have platforms to move about and upgrades you can earn to make it easier to take down all your enemies. But, Ghost Toasters layers on a thick level of character that is impossible to ignore. Everything from the introduction to the level design, and the star rating at the end of each level has been painstakingly taken to the extreme. As your performance is graded, you're treated to lovingly animated stars dancing on the screen in a way that no other game as ever dared to do.

There are 40 levels for you to play through, but don't expect the actual levels to change too much. The waves of ghosts you need to take out are the main way it keeps things fresh. This is a bit of a shame since a number of the environments outstay their welcome by the time you're finally finished with them.

The controls are as simple as could be and attached along the bottom of your screen. You can move side to side, jump, and shoot. You don't need anything else really. What makes the gameplay interesting is the collection of portals. Each one raises your score, but it can also add extra characters to your team or make you swap between characters. This forces you, sometimes to an annoying point, to become familiar with each character's weapons and idiosyncrasies. But, it does keep the action interesting even if you find yourself frustrated when your favorite character gets lost in the rotation after picking up a new portal.

Ghost Toasters is a well made game with a ton of character, but it doesn't make up for its repetitive nature. I found myself getting bored or annoyed as I slogged through level after level. I couldn't help but think that this game would actually be better if it was shorter, but had more variety in level design. But, complaint aside, it is still a perfectly enjoyable title that will delight you whether you're a fan of Regular Show or not.

App Store Link: Regular Show: Ghost Toasters for iPhone & iPad | By Cartoon Network | Price: $2.99 | Version: 1.0 | 85 MB | Rating 9+