Help a frog swim across obstacle filled ponds and save the day in Direction Quad.  The unique thing about this game is that it only uses one button.  You press it to switch from swimming from one 45 degree angle to another.  Bounce off of springs to change direction, and don’t touch the sides of the pond or other obstacles and make it to the goal to finish each level.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

In each level you must make it to the part of the pond that has a checkered flag pattern on it.  You start off by being able to only swim left and down or right and down at 45 degree angles when you press a button.  By hitting a spring facing the opposite direction, you’ll be able to swim up.  Same if you hit a spring on the side, you’ll be able to swim up and down while going left and right.  It’s a little confusing at first, but with practice it becomes slightly understandable.  While you swim, you can nab coins and three flies in each level for an extra challenge.  If you hit the sides of the pond or other obstacles, you must start the level over again.  I like the retro aesthetic with the pixel graphics and sounds.  And the one button controls are unique.  But they’re still not very intuitive and the game gets extremely hard, very fast.  So I kind of lost interest quicker than what I thought.

Kid Factor

Direction Quad is rate E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence.  If you hit the sides of the pond or other obstacles, you just fly off the screen and that’s it.  Reading skill is helpful for some of the text, but not necessary just to play.  Younger gamers may find it too difficult, though.

Tags: Game Reviews