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In Polar Panic, players control a bear named Polar who pushes and destroys snow and ice blocks around a grid-based environment in order to kill trapper enemies, activate switches, earn bonus points and gather powerful pickups, such as ‘Time Freeze’ or score bonuses and extra lives. In story mode, players battle against a series of enemies in a variety of Arctic environments that include an icy wasteland, a logging area, the back of a giant logging truck, and the decks of a ship rocked by icy seas. Players can vary the difficulty levels, which change gameplay elements, such as speed of movement, and reaction and decision time. In puzzle mode, players push or destroy the blocks in order to open a door or reach an exit.

With 50 levels of single-player madness in story mode, and 50 mind-numbing puzzle levels, along with single and multiplayer survival modes, Polar Panic will heat up gaming for players during the Holiday season and beyond.

Genre: Action

Publisher: Valcon Games

Developer: Eiconic Games

Online Play:

Local Play: 4 Versus

January 5, 2010 –
If you’ve been around the gaming block a few times you may remember a SEGA arcade game from the early eighties called Pengo. Players maneuvered a penguin through mazes and pushed ice blocks in order to crush the enemy blobs. That basic design is the blueprint for Polar Panic, a new Xbox Live Arcade game that trades out the penguin for a polar bear and the blobs for trappers in the pocket of a soulless corporation. It’s a fun little arcade game that should appeal to gamer cubs.

Evil corporations make for great antagonists, and here we’ve got Globoco Inc. and its CEO, Mr. Big (no relation to the Mr. Big from Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker). Big’s trappers have captured Polar the polar bear’s family and the beast must go on a murderous quest for revenge, brutally mutilating anyone that gets in his way. Okay, it’s not quite that violent, but Polar does have to squash every trapper with ice blocks within a time limit before he can proceed. This is a kids’ game, though, so the violence is comical. There is a message about protecting the environment here, and while it’s great to get those ideas in kids’ heads older gamers might be rolling their eyes.

Click here to panic.The single-player Story Mode follows Polar on his crusade to bust out his kin. Each area consists of five levels. Now and then, you face off with Mr. Big in a boss fight where he drives some giant machine, such as a bulldozer. Mazes are made up of various blocks. Snow blocks are destructible, ice blocks can be slid, and dyno blocks explode on contact. There are others to be discovered and the game does a nice job of introducing new mechanics as you make progress.

The various trappers have different behaviors, too. Basic enemies merely club Polar, but others fire rockets, wield flamethrowers, or blast him with a freeze ray. If you squish multiple trappers with one ice block, you increase your score multiplier and raise your status on the online leaderboards. Polar Panic includes robust leaderboards for each game mode.

Besides the trapper problem, most levels have a secret or two that will take some quick thinking to uncover. These may be caged family members or valuable ice bears, but getting to them takes several steps and time is always against you. This is where much of the game’s replay value comes from, since merely defeating all trappers on a level is much easier than also obtaining all secret items. There are a lot of clever challenges here that should keep Polar busy for a while.

After completing the Story Mode, there are Puzzle and Survival modes to delve into. In Puzzle Mode, you are scored on both the number of blocks pushed and the time it takes you to complete a level. And you know the Survival Mode drill by now, right? Never-ending waves of trappers assail Polar until he finally succumbs to his fate. Survival can be played with up to four people. Both it and Puzzle Mode are worth a try.

Polar Panic is a breezy good time but there are a few blemishes that keep it from being more than an acceptable kids’ game. The controls can be a bit finicky which is a detriment to arcade maze games that require quick reflexes. Taking a corner sometimes isn’t as easy as it should be, for instance. Collision detection is also off, so enemy projectiles and clubs never quite seem to make contact with Polar. And while the orchestral soundtrack is well done, the visuals lack personality and character. The bland presentation also occasionally makes it difficult to see obstacles on the screen. These aren’t deal breakers, but they will be disappointments to the older set.

Closing Comments
Polar Panic keeps the Pengo flame burning and is a solid, if uninspired, arcade game for the kids. The levels are inventive, Puzzle and Survival modes round out the package, and the orchestral score is quite nice. It doesn’t have a lot of personality, though, and some wonky controls and collision detection reveal a lack of polish. But Polar Panic should get younger gamers through the cold winter weeks ahead. Its issues don’t keep it from being fun.

IGN Ratings for Polar Panic (X360)

Rating Description

out of 10
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7.0
Presentation
Plenty modes to keep you busy but the game lacks personality. It’s also essentially an updated Pengo.

6.0
Graphics
Polar’s icy landscape is rather bland and obstacles can be difficult to make out at times.

8.0
Sound
A rousing orchestral score accompanies Polar’s quest to rescue his family.

7.5
Gameplay
A solid, if uninspired, throwback to ’80s arcade action. Polar Panic is good for kids but older gamers will likely get bored quickly.

7.5
Lasting Appeal
Puzzle and Survival modes provide plenty to do once the story is completed.

7.5
Good
OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

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