Physics Game Tests Balance and Reaction Time

Heavy Six Entertainment has announced Fire! Fire! 1.2 for iPhone and iPod touch, an update to their whimsical game testing balance and reaction time. Featuring high camp graphics and animation, stick figure people jump from atop a burning building, and the player must maneuver a pair of firemen to catch them in the trampoline they hold. After bouncing back up, the jumper may release the water from one of the fire buckets held aloft by helicopters, dousing the flames, and then be caught again. Gameplay is enhanced by sound effects, quips made by the fleeing jumpers, the fine tilt adjustment necessary to position the safety net, and the rapid acceleration required to impart counter spin to the jumper so he will bounce back up at an angle.

Intentionally foregoing the realistic graphics of most iPhone games, Fire! Fire! employs highly simplistic, though expressive stick people, and 2D, scrawled objects. At the start of the seven level game, played in portrait orientation, there is a seven story building partially viewable at the extreme left with red flames coming from the windows. Five helicopters, each carrying a bucket of water, hover at the top of the screen. Another building, not on fire, is partially viewable on the extreme right. Stick figures jump from the roof of the burning building on the left, hoping to be caught in the safety net held by two stick figure firemen wearing red helmets standing on the sidewalk below.

The challenge for the player, who is in control of the firemen, is that jumpers often fall far from the safety net. By observing their trajectory from the rooftop, the player must tilt the device precisely to catch the jumper in a small circular, net/trampoline the firemen hold between them. Jumpers who are not caught create red splatters on the sidewalk and offer asides in chipmunk-like voices such as "Oh, I'm dead!" or "Ah, my pancreas!" Those who bounce off the net perform doodle acrobatics in mid-air, and may reach one of the five water buckets overhead. When they do, the entire screen is covered in blue water and the fire is quelled on one floor of the burning building. The game then continues until everyone in the burning building has jumped.


Feature Highlights:
* 100 points for initial safety net catch
* 200 to 500 points for second safety net catch
* 100 to 1,600 points for hitting a water bucket
* 100 points for bouncing against a building wall
* 1,000 points for completing each level
* Extra life every 10,000 points!
* Each jumper must be caught twice, with points awarded each time
* Score for each round is displayed at the bottom of the screen

Fire! Fire! introduces an additional challenge by awarding extra points for having jumpers carom off buildings on their bounce back up toward the water buckets. This requires a quick flick of the wrist to send the jumper back up diagonally. To complete a level, all five buckets of water must be dropped onto the burning flames. Scores are recorded and a leaderboard is displayed.

"Fire! Fire! is a hilarious game that requires real skill to master," stated developer Mark Greenfield. "We make full use of both the iPhone's tilt sensor and accelerometer to create dynamic, fun gameplay."

Pricing and Availability:
Fire! Fire! 1.2 is only $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category. Review copies are available upon request.


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