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Often, iOS physics games follow a formula similar to Angry Birds (yeah, I know it wasn’t the first of its kind…but it’s easily noted as converting every non-gamer into a gamer). So you can imagine how refreshing it is to delve into a physics game that’s not about sling-shooting things.

Rather than sling-shooting things in 10tons Ltd’s King Oddball you’re swinging small boulders into objects: Tanks, Helicopters, and People (soldiers…not civilians). In each level you’ll see an unusual looking bolder king with a abnormally long tongue…one that Gene Simmons would envy. It’s this tongue that continuously swings back and forth holding a bolder which it will release when you tap the screen. The timing of the tap with the swing will determine the velocity of the boulder as well as the angle (somewhat similar to MadCap).

I have mixed feelings about the level progression. On the positive side, figuring out how to approach each level becomes much more complex with each passing level. Should you knock down a helicopter and have it crash onto another enemy? Or should you attack a ground unit and try and have the boulder ricochet into something else. It’s this use of complex strategy that makes King Oddball great. On the other side is that it tends to lack in bringing new elements from level to level and few new game mechanics are introduced from the first world to the last. But, the creative level designs balance off this minor issue.

The Bottom Line: 8/10 (Great)

While King Oddball may lack in the introduction of adding a variety of new elements, it makes up for it with interesting puzzle layouts that help keep the experience entertaining. If you enjoy challenging but casual gaming experiences, you’ll be engaged with King Oddball for hours.