Minion Rush
Gameloft
Free for Apple iOS and Android
An obligatory mobile game has become standard procedure for any Hollywood blockbuster and Despicable Me 2 is no exception with Minion Rush appearing to tie in with the movie’s release.
You play as one of Gru’s loveable minions attempting to impress your master to become minion of the week. Your mission takes the form of a scrolling platform game a la Temple Run. You dodge obstacles by swerving, ducking or jumping while trying to collect bananas as well as earning additional ‘despicable’ bonuses for taking out your fellow minions.
The quirky gibbering that made the minions so popular on the big screen has gone into the game, but unless you’re a fan of the minions you might want to kill the sound. Sound effects aside the game looks great and you get to explore a variety of locations from the movie
For a game based on a family film I was expecting a fairly un-challenging game but Minion Rush is surprisingly tough. You need quick reactions to keep up with the action and as you get the hang of the game it does start getting addictive.
The developers have made an effort to keep the game fresh, with different sections requiring you to use the touch screen and your smartphone’s movement sensitivity to control your minion. There are mini-games included through power ups you can grab as well as boss battles that keep play from getting too repetitive.
Like most games there’s the option to spend money to speed up your progress or buy power-ups faster but there’s nothing to compel you to invest your cash if you want to keep this app free.
Games based on movies often let themselves down in terms of playability, relying too heavily on their big screen reputation to carry them through but Minion Rush avoids this pitfall. The developers seem to have gone to the trouble of making a game that offers some innovations in a tried and tested genre and good replay value.
If I had a complaint it would be that some of the instruction screens seemed to drag. What should have been a brief message lasting a few seconds explaining how to control my character in the next mini-game lingered on the screen for far too long. For a game that depends on quick reactions it seemed like the creators had underestimated how fast their audience can read.
Overall Minion Rush is fun, addictive, guaranteed to keep you distracted and certainly worth grabbing given the ‘free’ price tag.
