Frenetic game-play meets strategy in A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games’ first original title for the iPhone. You play as a delivery pilot tasked with racing against your rival delivery folk to bring the most cargo to destinations the world over – without going bankrupt.
Players may choose their flight persona from four pilots: two buxom females, Baroness von Kargohaulin and Cassie Nova, and two roguish gents, Ace Boomer and The Duke. From there players choose from six different rounds, two at each of three difficulty levels. The primary variables in the different difficulty settings are the A.I. of your fellow pilots, maximum cargo and the scope of the map (increasing to the whole globe).
With both your character and level selected Sky Babes vs Fly Boys tosses you into the delivery fray with nary so much as a “final boarding call”. When you first dive-into the exciting world of cargo deliveries you may not know exactly why you are tapping the screen in rapid succession, but it is not long before you forget words like “why” and “how” amidst frantic tapping in your race to be the first to Oslo. Game-play controls are wonderfully simple: choose from a variety of illuminated and numbered delivery points on the map by tapping the point of your choice, then tap your final destination at the end of the marked route to initiate flight. Once there, tap the next pickup point, its respective drop-off, rinse and repeat.
While a round of game-play progresses the cost of fuel goes up, increasing the speed and strategy required for your deliveries so that your one babe (or boy) operation can stay afloat. The last pilot standing at the end of a match is the victor, and simply delivering cargo, quickly, will only lead to a win in the easier levels. After some training on the less challenging maps more tactical game-play becomes a factor, as longer routes simultaneously yield more cash and burn more fuel. With the fuel-to-cargo disparity increasing, combining your deliveries whenever possible becomes a must as you take on the world.
As the growing map exceeds the screen size you will need get your bearings by touching and dragging. Anticipating the moves of your opponents while planning your own is vital to success. Should you select a point on the map for package pick-up and be beaten to the punch by one of the enemy AI they claim that route – and mock you for your late arrival. It is important to keep an eye on your competitors and try to predict their next move so that you are not caught wasting fuel en route to a saturated locale.
The character voices are a lively touch and the models are well styled. Overall, I like the game’s simple, retro take on the exciting world of cargo delivery. The unabashedly simple game is a fun addition to the App library. The only real drag on the otherwise slick game-play is dragging the map, particularly when “map” means “globe”. Let’s face it, getting to the other side of the Earth is downright cumbersome at times.
Sky Babes vs. Fly Boys is a fun and addictive time killer with fast-paced game-play perfectly suited to the mobile platform. The title’s polished presentation is an excellent example of how pleasing a simple game, when done well, can be. Easily worth the ninety-nine cent App Store price tag, pick it up for your next bout of air travel.