Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream….Look out! Rocks! I was humming (and then screaming) that during my first play level in PuddleSplash Games’ latest offering for the iPhone/iPod touch, Canoe Slalom. It’s a little like the old Toobin’ game but with way better graphics and touch controls.

There are two control schemes available, both of which require you to paddle with your thumbs. The realistic mode will have you paddling on the left to turn right, and vice versa, while the other mode does the opposite (paddle left to turn left, you get the idea). The game makes you put in some effort, and although it’s not the same as spending huge amounts of energy on a real canoe, slow broad strokes of the thumb propel the canoe faster.

It then becomes a manner of balance and timing as you string a whole bunch of slow broad strokes (left, right, left, right) and if you get it right, you get to enjoy the satisfaction of having the canoe zoom through the particular stage. And then come the rocks, and gates. Canoe Slalom comes with 20 slalom course and like skiing you have to manoeuvre through gates. And not only that you need to deal with obstacles (rocks) in your bid to set a fast time.

The Endurance Mode on the other hand is a race against the clock as you try to go through as many gates as possible before the time runs out. Pretty intense stuff eh? OpenFeint support allows access to global leaderboards and a whopping 41 achievements to unlock.

Canoe Slalom is a pretty good casual game with a competitive edge; having said that both the controls and  (the simple) graphics really complement each other. The levels are never too long and are perfect for short play bites. So do check it out over at the App  Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/canoe-slalom/id378726170?mt=8