‘Albert’ Is A Delightful Game Complete With Holograms

[Editor's Note: This review was written on March 7, 2011, pre-dating the launch of our News section on August 29, 2011. It is being re-published so it can be properly archived in the News section.] Albert by Fingerlab is a delightful game with unique illustrations, holographic effects and mini-games. We are always pleased to come across a special app like Albert. It is unlikely you have come across an app like Albert despite there being nearly 400,000 iOS apps as of this review. The first striking feature you will notice are the beautiful retina display graphics “made from 1,000 pieces of cardboard, sliced, glued, photographed and animated by hand.” Trust us, you don’t see many apps with this high level of effort and commitment when it comes to creating graphics. The result is nothing short of astonishing. As if this wasn’t impressive enough, holographic effects are also incorporated. As an example, the title screen has Albert standing in a field strewn with flowers, passing cars and a big rainbow in the background. Albert can be touched and spun around revealing a 360 degree capable view of him. Additionally, tilting your iDevice left and right or up and down pans the camera inducing a completely immersive experience.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t60KLlpC-Q0&feature=player_detailpage Albert trailer Click here to watch on YouTube

The fourteen mini-games are equally impressive. Each mini-game is unique and requires different skills thus keeping you challenged and entertained. The goals of each mini-game are to complete the assigned task efficiently and to find a hidden treasure. You will be assigned one or two stars based on how well you completed the mini-game and one star if you find the hidden treasure. Hidden treasures are found in a variety of ways including moving your iDevice, touching the screen and even by looking in the pause menu.

The first ten mini-games are unlocked but the last four mini-games require a minimum number of stars to unlock. Therefore it is important to do well in each of the first ten mini-games in order to play the last four mini-games. Some people will complain the game can be finished in a relatively short time. That’s true but rushing through this app would be a big mistake. Part of this app’s charm are the illustrations and holographic effects and we encourage you to enjoy the eye candy in each mini-game. This is one game where you want to collect all three stars in each mini-game while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

We are rooting for this app to become a hit because it is deserving and because the developer will likely add more mini-games as a result. It is super easy for us to emphatically say that you should pick up this app. Albert is magical. Whether you are a kid or an adult, this app will undoubtedly put a smile on your face. AppPicker Rating: 5 / 5 Stars App Store links: Albert (iPhone) and Albert HD (iPad) Other apps by Fingerlab