Everplay Interactive's Miner Problem is the latest in a long line of Jetpack Joyride-esque endless-runners. In this particular instance, you play a young kid trying to escape a mine that's caving in on itself, avoiding all of the upcoming dangers, while picking up coins and diamonds to spend in the game store.
The Good
Though hardly groundbreaking, Miner Problem's tap system is kind of cool. You simply press the lower left-hand side of the screen for general jumping, and the lower right to use your power-ups - a robot that can fire lasers, for example, or a gravity-shifting forcefield. It's also got a very likeable NES look to it that retro fans will love. Best of all, the free to play system is pretty fair, and you'll earn so much currency through gameplay that you really won't need to buy any.
The Bad
Miner Problem won't be remembered for its originality. It borrows heavily from Joyride's concepts - even down to the warning signs that alert you to upcoming dangers. It's certainly fun, but very familiar, in other words. You'll also get tired of running through the same old cavern after a while, and a little more diversity here would have been very welcome. Finally, those controls sometimes flub - we experience a fair few cheap deaths as a result.
The Verdict
If you're a fan of endless runners, Miner Problem is undoubtedly worth a shot. It's free-to-play and has enough content to take a few runs with. Just don't expect to stick with the game for too long before the whole thing crumbles apart.
The Good
Though hardly groundbreaking, Miner Problem's tap system is kind of cool. You simply press the lower left-hand side of the screen for general jumping, and the lower right to use your power-ups - a robot that can fire lasers, for example, or a gravity-shifting forcefield. It's also got a very likeable NES look to it that retro fans will love. Best of all, the free to play system is pretty fair, and you'll earn so much currency through gameplay that you really won't need to buy any.
The Bad
Miner Problem won't be remembered for its originality. It borrows heavily from Joyride's concepts - even down to the warning signs that alert you to upcoming dangers. It's certainly fun, but very familiar, in other words. You'll also get tired of running through the same old cavern after a while, and a little more diversity here would have been very welcome. Finally, those controls sometimes flub - we experience a fair few cheap deaths as a result.
The Verdict
If you're a fan of endless runners, Miner Problem is undoubtedly worth a shot. It's free-to-play and has enough content to take a few runs with. Just don't expect to stick with the game for too long before the whole thing crumbles apart.
