It’s no secret that the iPhone is one of gaming’s hottest new platforms, and while many of the games on the App Store leave something to be desired, every once in awhile we stumble across a game sporting very high production values that rival dedicated videogame systems. This weekend, Resolution Interactive unveiled a new game called Aqua Moto that is strongly reminiscent of Nintendo’s classic game Wave Race 64, allowing gamers to race Jet Skis through a variety of 3D environments. You can grab a free ‘Lite’ version of the game here, but at only $3 the full version (which includes far more tracks) is a bargain.
Beyond its impressive graphics, Aqua Moto shines because its controls are perfectly suited for the iPhone. As gamers tilt their iPhone from side to side their character swerves left or right, and tilting the phone forward or backward controls the acceleration. This isn’t the first game to employ this kind of control scheme – dozens of similar racing games have been released on the App Store since its launch last July. But most of those games are car-based, which means that the controls are often much more ‘twitchy’ and tough to control. Aqua Moto favors broader motions as the vehicles are water-based, which makes the gameplay feel much more natural (and is also a bit more forgiving).
My biggest gripe is that the game fails to tap into the iPhone’s network effect – it would be great if the game supported multiplayer, even if only across a Wi-Fi network. That said, its championship mode seems to be long enough to satisfy most gamers, and is certainly worth the $3 price of admission.
Definitely a cool game.
looks cool
that is a sick looking game, I think I will have to try it out…
Just bought it. Thanks TechCrunch.
i just downloaded and tried, it ROCKS!
Just bought it, and tried it out. Really good work guys.
Seriously Jason, what did you pocket, a cool grand for posting this?
Yup, I’d say all articles on Techcrunch should come with a “Full Disclosure”.
There’s an affiliate ID in the link. Don’t mind monetising posts, but hopefully it won’t hinder on the motives/quality.
There is no “affiliate id” in the post. The id you are confused by is the id of the app itself, required to have iTunes open directly to the app’s page.
What are you guys talking about? It’s a good game, so I gave it a positive review. These conspiracy theories might make a little more sense if it was bad, but it isn’t.
looks cool!
The “is this an ad or a story” reply is becoming as much of a staple on TC as the insertstupidtermherelocator.com guy.
Neither are useful. If you could buy advertorial on TechCrunch, everyone would know.
That said, I’m off to go try out the game. Looks cool.
Jason, your article on TC introduced me to Rjdj. And now Aqua Moro. Thank you for making my iPhone experience better.
Sure thing. I have good taste
Cool. I will be watching to see if the boost in sales from this post is it worth buying an article from you guys.
Games built for nintendo and then ported to the iphone will never be as fun as the original. That might not matter as long as it can still sell downloads, but the best iphone games have yet to come, and will probably be free downloads.
Just downloaded this and played it. fun game, nice post!
It’s an incredible app, I downloaded in my iPod Touch and it’s great!
Nice recommendation! There are a lot of nice little games in the App Store, but very few are immersive and 3-D – like Fastlane, Brothers In Arms and Hero of Olympis, this is pretty much a garunteed hit. If you’re into “viral”, check out the “bomber online” game.