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| Vortex |
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| It’s just another brick in the wall… |
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| Well done Dean |
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| 1. |
Dean |
2973 |
| 2. |
Emma |
2763 |
| 3. |
Charlie |
2124 |
| 4. |
Dave |
1983 |
| 5. |
John |
1765 |
| 6. |
Leo |
1567 |
| 7. |
Lyn |
1221 |
| 8. |
Mark |
976 |
| 9. |
Paddy |
543 |
| 10. |
Eliza |
232 |
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Essentially, Vortex is Breakout in 3D, but with bonus power-ups, exploding bricks, spinning layers and varied patterns. How much you’ll enjoy it depends solely on how much the prospect of repeatedly smacking a ball into a clump of bricks appeals to you. Thankfully, it appeals greatly to us and, therefore, Vortex very quickly became a firm favourite in our office.
Certain bricks contain power-ups (which include multi-ball, stretched bats, extra lives or guns) and others have to be hit a number of times before they’re destroyed – adding a much-needed strategic element to the gameplay.
Vortex is fun, throwaway and reasonably addictive. Working your way through each of the levels takes skill and there’s an added incentive to keep trying to beat your personal best time, too. It’s hardly evolutionary, but as a first-generation iPod game, it more than justifies its inclusion in the initial line-up.
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A straightforward and addictive game that’s perfectly suited to the iPod’s control set up. |
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Go to Personal Info on the main menu screen, select Rename and enter ME_PAZ for a laser power-up. |
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Enter your name as I_GUNZ for a gun power-up |
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Enter your name as FORSIX for 24 lives. |
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Enter your name as _PWR_B for a powerball. |
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Enter your name as NO_ID_ for extra levels. |
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There’s a three-second countdown when you start off, but you can bypass this by pressing the centre button. |
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Make sure you check out which power-ups are heading your way before you collect them, as not all of them work in your favour. |
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Hitting the ball on the edge of the bat is risky, but the ball does go off at the perfect angle to get through the layers and knock out a serious amount of bricks. |
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The level does speed up slowly, so try to knock out the bricks on the first layer first. |
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If you’re finding the game difficult to control then try out the alternative control set up, as it might be more to your tastes. |
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