Annoying Cab iPhone Review

Cab rides aren't always the most glamorous way to get around the city or where you live, but sometimes they're necessary. When you're dealing with a cabbie that's not so great to be around, however, it can make a normal cab ride into a frustrating and, well, annoying time. That's where the typing tutor game Annoying Cab comes in.

The Good

If you grew up with games like Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing or more recently Typing of the Dead, you'll be more than familiar with the premise of Annoying Cab, which aims to help sharpen your typing skills -- or in this case, your texting skills. As your cabbie talks to you you'll have to type out the phrase onscreen in order to score big. The quicker and more accurately you type, the better you do. If you're already an excellent typist you'll no doubt excel here, and that's part of its charm. It also features particularly excellent throwback pixel graphics with interesting details and characters that really channel a different time in the game industry.

The Bad

While the mechanics themselves are solid and aesthetic department impressive enough, some of the sentences and phrases you're asked to type are a bit bizarre, chock full of weird internet language and jarring quotations that don't always make sense. This causes even seasoned texters and people without problems with texting to fail, which forces them to start over and over again in order to properly measure their typing ability.

The Verdict

This cabbie isn't so much annoying as it's missing potential. Strange quotes, weirdly parsed text, and artificial lengthening of the game to force talented players to wait for their next round is off-putting. Plus, being forced to act as if you're texting in order to play (which most players won't be great at or will have to use a keyboard) is a little strange.