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Category: Arcade game
Developer: PlaidStudios
Requirements: iPhone 2.1 software
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod Touch
File Size: 3.1MB
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Price: $0.99
Age Rating: 4+

Use your best-laid plans to puzzle your way through clever traps, hidden dangers and sneaky foes to collect all the cheese and move on to the next level.

Once you complete your download and launch Mouse House, you are greeted by a welcome screen containing a graphic of a small mouse and four options: Play, Resume, Preferences, and an about section. The about section tells you that Plaid World Studios is responsible for what you are about to experience, and also that Chris Dillman wrote the code, and Alex Hennen is responsible for the art work. The options section give you control over wether the controls are “player relative,” you can turn “swipe” on and off, and it also has controls for sound and music volumes. The resume button obviously allows you to continue your previous game from the last level that you had completed. The play button will start a new game from level one.

When you hit the play button, the game asks if you are sure you want to start a new game. You are then launched into the game on level one. As you can see in the screen shots, there are different sets of obstacles on each level. The purpose of the game is to open and get through a door different from the one through which you entered the level. In order to open the door to leave the current level, you must consume a piece of cheese that is placed somewhere on that level. Each level increases the difficulty in reaching and eating that piece of cheese.

The play field contains a few things to help you on your way. In the top right corner, you see an icon that looks like a flame. On some levels, there will be a red pepper; if you eat this red pepper, you can shoot a fireball one time in any direction. The icon in the top right corner of the screen fires that fire ball. In the bottom left of the screen you will see a gear icon. This icon allows you to set or change the settings of the game mid-game if you choose. In the bottom right of the screen you will see a reload icon. This icon allows you to restart a level if you have gotten yourself in a position where you cannot complete the level, but cannot die either (you will use this a lot). Also, on the outer edge of the screen you will see a door with a key hole in it. This is your way out of the level, and your ultimate goal. Your current level is displayed in the top left corner of the screen.

On the first level, you are greeted by several yellow balls with question marks in them. These balls are quick tips on how to maneuver around the game board (such as “tap in the direction you want to go” and “hold your finger down to keep moving”). As you can see in the screen shots, there are a few different kinds of obstacles. You have bushes with blue flowers on them, and you have bushes with purple flowers on them. I am not able to tell a difference between the two. On level 2, a red ball with a star on it is introduced. You have the ability to move this red ball in any direction as long as there is not another obstacle in your way(you will be doing a lot of red ball moving). Level 3 introduces the red pepper and an enemy rat. There are several of the tip balls also that detail the red pepper and rat’s abilities. Level 4 introduces bees as enemies. The bees differ from previous enemies in the fact that they can shoot stingers at you. Again, the yellow tip balls explain what the bees can and cannot do. All of the subsequent levels have combinations of the enemies I have mentioned here. I have only been able to get to level 13 of 50 so there may actually be other enemies I have not yet reached.

My initial impression of the game was that it is for small children due to the basic movement and graphics. I would liken the graphics to a 16 bit gaming console, kind of an old Legend of Zelda feel. Game play is extremely smooth, and I did not have a single problem getting the mouse to go where I wanted it to. Overall, I feel the game is very addictive—fun for younger children—and I like the fact that you can start right where you left off no matter how many times you die or get trapped with no way out. The graphics and game play are very basic and could use some pizzaz. Over all? I give it a…