bay news 9 breaking news: Android Quick App: Wind-up Knight

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Android Quick App: Wind-up Knight

Stop what you're doing and download Wind-up Knight for Android. Wait. Read this first. Then stop what you're doing and download Wind-up Knight, which has been gaining kudos and buzz since its initial release last week.

Wind-up Knight is a side-scroller that's reminscient of Super Mario Brothers -- you'll be collecting coins while dispatching creatures, all in the name of saving a princess. But it's not a mere two-dimensional side-scroller -- this sucker's got depth. And the graphics, while simple, also don't overpower the gameplay, a problem we've seen in other games. The controls are simple as well. Your character runs on his own (hint: You'll need to go left sometimes), and you're left iwth jumping and rolling and attacking.

Wind-up Knight is a free game, but you'll need to collect weapons and armor along the way. And you can upgrade as quickly as you want, thanks to in-app purchasing. Want a bad-ass sword without having to save up currency? You can buy 10,000 Rote for a $9.99US. Of course, that's the trick, right? You'll likely end up spending far more within the game than you would if you paid $1.99, or $2.99 -- heck, we'd probably easily go $5 for Wind-up Knight -- up front. But on the other hand, with 50 levels and great gameplay, you're getting your money's worth.

One downside of all that in-app purchasing, though, is that you can't switch devices. If you upgrade on a tablet, you won't have those weapons and armor on a phone, unless you repurchase them. (Hopefully Google does something about that at some point.

Anyhoo, we've distracted you long enough. Hit up the download links and check out our hands-on video after the break.

Update: Ooo. So after a few levels, you have the one-time option to upgrade to the full version at a discounted $3.99. We're all for in-app purchases, but the upselling is starting to be a bit much here.