Continuously running games seem to be racing rampantly on the screens of iOS devices everywhere, and now one more joins their ranks with Mr. Runner 2: The Masks (iPad version reviewed here). Fun, cartoony graphics and a dash of humor help this one stand out, though.

Your little masked runner starts every stage always running, never stopping. The only thing you can do is tap on the right side of the screen to make him run faster for a short time. Or tap on the opposite side of the screen to make him put on the brakes and run slower. You’ll need to do this to avoid obstacles that can squish you and end the round. Complete stages to earn stars so you can level up and unlock more levels and goodies.

As you play, you’ll collect coins and other bits, like keys to open treasures and more. You can spend coins at the shop to buy power-ups like potions to let you continue a stage after being squished, or magnets to reel in the coins. You can also buy coins with real money, but luckily the game is pretty generous about giving you coins, so you don’t feel like buying all the good items is impossible. You can even earn coins by watching videos and liking the game on Facebook!

While the game is a bit repetitive and not very original, I did like the humor in it. The first levels are set in a grassy field, and in the tall grass behind you, you can see Pikachu’s tail above the grass as it runs along beside you (when you beat the stage you’ll see it’s just a hamster with a Pikachu tail tied around its head! And sometimes in the tall grass, pixelated ducks that look like the ones from Duck Hunt will fly by! And some of the masks and costumes you can unlock for your character make reference to other game classics, like Mario!

Kid Factor:

While your character can get squished flat, that’s as violent as it gets. It’s all very cartoony. Reading skill is helpful for some of the menus, but the game is pretty easy to figure out just by playing. Younger gamers might get a little frustrated at the more difficult levels, though.

Tags: Game Reviews