Iron Horse is a simple, yet amazing kind of new action/puzzler. Trains really are an excellent personification that the iPhone needs more of.

Iron Horse ($0.99; FREE)

Mr. Conductor, this is your iron horse, you must guide it and all it’s cargo to your destination? Will you make it? That’s up to you and your reflexes. Read on.

Presentation

Iron Horse is an 18th century reference in and of itself – comparing trains to horses. This game exemplifies that in many ways, but in a far more effective and addictive way. You take strings of cargo down the tracks, adding more and more manually as you go along, in a game of speed and timing.

This is done so simply, and in such beautiful graphics and animations, that it becomes far more realistic. Everything from the smoke billowing from the train to the appearance of the train and tracks. This is also done with simple and graphically shown controls that are absolutely perfect.

Controls

The controls here are blissfully simple. There is no combination of the various controls options – no swipes, drags, shakes, swings, flips, turns, tilts, or any over complex control method.

Why overcomplicate an obvious answer? Your only control is tapping. You tap to begin, and tap at the correct time to line up the train cars to add to your train. This is excellently simple and well guided.

Gameplay

The gameplay is very much that of a casual game. You progress though the levels one at a time and collect the various boxcars along the away to your destination. The number of cars and speed of the train increase as you go through the levels, which increases the difficulty significantly, and makes an otherwise simple game a game that is progressively more difficult and desirable to play.

It’s game over if you fail to collect your target number of cars. Not much can be said for it, it’s uniquely and repetitively addicting. Your motive is in your desire for the highest high score. You do not beat levels in the traditional sense, levels are naught but a break between goals. Of you fail a level, you have to start from the beginning.

Suggestions

* Infinite mode. Play for high scores, and add other elements, including boosts, score bonuses and extra lives.
* Earned level skips.

Conclusion

The Iron Horse is yet another original and truly excellent casual game making its debut on the iPhone. One cannot ask for a nice, pretty, and more well done game. Once more, we have a fine game worthy of a second look, and with a new iPad version, nobody is left out of the fun.