If you’ve been gaming on the iPhone for awhile and you like a challenge, then might I suggest TightWire. 

TightWire, by iBright Studios and Wasted Pixel, is a balancing game that uses the accelerometer to torture test the skills of players who think they’ve mastered the finicky movement sensor. At least the app’s developers incorporated a bit of comic relief to keep the inevitable tension in check.

In this app, you control the movements of a rotund daredevil with a penchant for urban acrobatics. He is attempting to cross a tight wire strung between two buildings high above the city streets. Your job is to keep him balanced and get him to the other side.

To succeed in TightWire, calibration is important. Start in the options menu and calibrate the accelerometer to adjust the specific angle at which you hold your device. Skip this step and you’ll crash faster than you can say “flat fat guy.”

The graphics are classic “video-game realism” and the sound of whipping winds is a nice touch. Also — considering how quickly and often our daredevil will die — I appreciate the thoughtfulness TightWire’s developers have taken with the falling scenes. Players are less likely to give up because are several variations to his crashing demise and they can look forward to watching him tumble over and over again.

Unfortunately, after a while these entertaining scenes become a point of annoyance. When I’m really getting in to “the zone,” I’d like to skip the fall so I can restart the level immediately. (Orbital does a great job of letting players quickly get back to the action after a game ends.)

A recent update made TightWire’s first two levels a bit easier so that users can get a taste of success early on. I’ve been unable to master level two after maybe 50-75 attempts — I can’t imagine what the game must have been like before! There is also a lite version so gamers can test the app before deciding to go all in.

However, if you think you’ve got what it takes to master the accelerometer then forget about starting lite. Man up! Plunk down your dollar and play with the big boys on the TightWire.

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app category: Games