Tasty Planet Review

Written by: David Laprad Published: April 3, 2007 Games don't get easier to explain than Tasty Planet from Dingo: in a nutshell, you're a ball of goop that eats everything it sees. As you devour objects, you grow bigger, allowing you to gobble down larger and larger things. How large? Well, you begin life as a microscopic bathroom cleanser, and before the end of the game, you're swallowing entire planets. Although the developer could be making a statement about the dangers of tampering with our planet's ecology, you won't have time to think about that as you race against the clock to eat enough bacteria, golf balls and automobiles to win. The level design is more clever than the basic idea of the game suggests, with one stage requiring you to work through a maze of dominos you'll eventually eat after finding smaller morsels that trigger your growth. In terms of controls, Tasty Planet requires nothing more than sweeping your mouse across the screen fast enough to gobble goodies and with enough dexterity to avoid hazards. Visually, the game is charming, despite disturbing undercurrents in the story. Above all, Tasty Planet is fun to play in short bursts, so if you're craving a snack rather than a full meal, give it a shot. Scoring (out of five stars): Graphics: Ease of use: Gameplay: Challenge: Sound effects: Music: Final analysis: Click here to download the free trial version of Tasty Planet.