Developer/Publisher: Funky Visions
Genre: Puzzle
Price: $0.99 (Lite Version Available)
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Verdict: At times frustrating, the game provides moments of fun and accomplishment that expands well on the original Jiggle Balls’ digital toy concept
Pros: Controls work well even as you twist and turn your device to impossibly strange angles; great sense of accomplishment after beating difficult levels; reviewers playing the game have plenty of opportunities for double entendres
Cons: Learning curve is all but non-existent

As a disclaimer for those of you expecting something risque based on the words “Jiggle” and “Balls” in the title of this game, Jiggle Balls: Spikes is very distinctly not a dirty app. It is a follow-up to the original Jiggle Balls app, which was something of a visualizer or toy where you messed around with a bunch of tiny balls that bounced around, and you could mess with the physics to make them act differently with the walls and with each other; it was more of a digital toy than anything else. Jiggle Balls: Spikes basically takes the mechanics of the  original app and puts it into a full-fledged game.

The goal is to get the tiny white balls from their starting point to where the large purple spiked ball is in order to pop the tiny white balls. In order to do this, you will twist and turn your iPhone around like a madman, manipulating gravity and objects in the level under the time limit in order to try and accomplish your goal. What you will discover about this game is that it starts off very hard, and you will likely be frustrated, as the game throws a challenge your way right off the bat when you should be given easier challenges in order to get used to the mechanics. In fact, the fourth level, “Rock the Boat” in particular, is fairly advanced for being, you know, the fourth level. Of course, I felt like I was a much better player after playing this level, but the levels may have just been easier as well. Still, it’s an interesting issue – you may be putting this game down early on because of the lack of a learning curve (that may be addressed in a future update, according to the developer)

Still, despite the early difficulty, as you progress you’ll find levels that at times aren’t quite as abstract in their solutions, and are more about mastering gravity (which can vary wildly in some levels) and the controls. Some levels will have you twisting your device around to the point where if you’re playing with headphones on, you run a risk of accidentally tying yourself up while playing. If this sounds like an exciting prospect to you, stop reading and go buy the game and play with vigor. For the less adventurous, you might not want to play while charging or rocking out to some bouncing beats.

While the game is at times frustrating, Jiggle Balls: Spikes is a fun expansion on the original digital toy concept into something more substantial, and there is some fun to be had with playing around with this game. Probably not as much fun as writing about it, however, as it was difficult to write this without snickering like a 12-year old boy throughout.