Trucks & SkullsPrice: $1.99     Score: 8/10    Category: Games

We’ve all heard the cliché about imitation and flattery, so let’s get straight to it. You may have heard of a little game on the App Store named Angry Birds. Well, it seems that the folks at Appy Entertainment have also caught wind of this smash hit and decided to “flatter” the heck out of it.

However, what Trucks and Skulls (iPhone) and Trucks and Skulls HD (iPad) lack in originality, they make up for in personality and style. And despite the fact that it is a (rather shameless) Angry Birds clone, it’s a clone of quality and well worth the two bucks.

Trucks & SkullsTrucks & Skulls

If you’re of the few who haven’t heard of or played Angry Birds, here’s the gist: the player must destroy evil little piggies by launching the birds into them and the fortresses that surround them. It’s basically a game of physics and trajectories, and mastering the angle of your launch is the key to success. Here, the birds are replaced with trucks and the pigs with skulls, and the whimsical vibe of Angry Birds is swapped with a heavy metal backdrop.

Just as Angry Birds featured a variety of birds, each with their own special abilities, Trucks & Skull HD features a healthy selection of trucks. You begin with a standard monster truck to launch, an quickly graduate to trucks with spiked plows, trucks that drop bombs, and more. As you progress through the game, the skulls’ fortresses become more heavily fortified, which means you’ll have to use your trucks’ abilities wisely, rather than just launching them and hoping for the best. Added to the levels are elements like TNT, rubber walls, and lava, each of which you must use to your advantage to take out those evil skulls.

Trucks & SkullsTrucks & Skulls

The screen scrolls horizontally, and you’re able to use the pinch method to either zoom in and out. This is a nice feature as seeing the entire play field can often be advantageous. Plus, it’s nice to see the wonderful, classic metal-inspired artwork. I recommend turning down the audio and throwing on an old Judas Priest album for added effect.

Perhaps the best reason to recommend Trucks & Skulls is the replay value. There are over 120 levels, with more surely on the way. And once you blast your way through all of those, the game also has a rather robust level creator, which allows you to create diabolical puzzles and send them to your friends. Speaking of sharing, you’re also able to snap a screenshot of the game at any time and send it to your friends.

Bottom Line: Yes, Trucks and Skulls is essentially a re-skinned Angry Birds. But the truth is it’s just as good a game and fans of the original would be wise to give this one a shot.

Trucks & Skulls is compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later.