Filed under: Found Footage, iPhone, First Look, App Review
Sneak Peek: Stair Dismount offers... broken bones, mostly
Remember Zen Bound? It's a gorgeous and fun-to-play little puzzle game. So when I heard that SecretExit, the makers of Zen Bound, were about to release a new app, I was excited to get a sneak preview.
Stair Dismount is a very different game to Zen Bound. Although, as you can see in the above video, the audio and graphics quality are consistently high, it's not really fair to compare the two. According to SecretExit, Stair Dismount is more focused on "humor and social elements" rather than problem solving.
The game basically involves pushing someone down the stairs and seeing how many bones they break. Playing this made me feel like the world's worst sadist. Hard to get game playing satisfaction other than tormenting the poor dude.
With Stair Dismount, you can add the face of a Facebook friend and send screen shots of their broken body lying at the bottom of the staircase. Secret Exit dev Jani Kahrama notes, "It feels better with a friendly Facebook face on the guy :)."
Your enjoyment of this will vary by your personal take but for me, I don't think Stair Dismount will be staying on my iPod or be exposed to my kids. Stair Dismount is due to hit the App Store within the week.
About the video: At this time, TUAW can only create preview videos for applications compiled for 3.1 or earlier using a development (not distribution or ad hoc) build and review videos for distribution-compiled apps that are 3.1 or earlier.
TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Slauncha Man said 8:24PM on 11-23-2009
This seems like a complete rip-off of Max Injury.
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starq said 8:56PM on 11-23-2009
Um. This may be the rare case where it might be best to NOT have a video. Looks retarded and boring. And I've downloaded some stupid shit.
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camkevbell said 9:15PM on 11-23-2009
That's disgusting...
Quite a drop in quality or originality from Zen Bound.
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TrendGiveAfuck said 8:58AM on 11-24-2009
aww.. not available in Sweden :(
jani said 12:34AM on 11-24-2009
Stair Dismount for iPhone is an evolution from a series of "Dismount" games that date back to 2002. The original "Stair Dismount - Porrasturvat" on PC was one of the first games to feature ragdoll physics.
For fans of Zen Bound a new edition is coming in early 2010 that (among other things) takes full advantage of the new graphical capabilities of the 3GS and iPod touch 3G.
Stair Dismount is definitely not mellow and meditative, it is a game with a tone of slapstick comedy and irony.
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Randy said 7:20AM on 11-24-2009
Ding Ding Ding, You get a get a cookie. I was trying to remember the name of the original game from Taat. I played this back in 01-02. Fun game.
starq said 12:45AM on 11-24-2009
Thanks SecretExit.
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BOK said 9:18AM on 11-24-2009
I'm going to take a wild guess and assume this slow, choppy video isn't representative of the final product. Kind of don't see the point of even having a video if it doesn't accurately portray what users will see firsthand.
Anyway, the concept is vetted by time and the "tormented" character is one of those posable wooden dolls that artists have tortured for decades by putting them in all manner of terribly uncomfortable positions, so my conscience is clear. I'm looking forward to seeing this in a more accurate light — it looks like a demented puzzle game that's also smart in the right hands. Demented more than smart, yes, but harmlessly so in the right hands. It's miles less offensive than trivializing WWII by turning Nazis into zombies, but I'm sure no one in the TUAW gallery is disgusted by that, right?
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Dewgy said 5:30AM on 11-24-2009
For anyone who wants to try this game, it can be downloaded for the PC for free here: http://jet.ro/dismount/
It's obviously an older version (the game has been around for years), but it's addictive, funny, and cartoony enough to be enjoyable without being disturbing.
There is also a sequel, rekkaturvat, where the dummy is hit by a truck.
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TrendGiveAfuck said 8:58AM on 11-24-2009
Got some butter to go with that spam?
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Simon said 9:12AM on 11-24-2009
Oh no! What if the kids were to see cartoony representations of humans falling down stairs - that would be horrible. Or, say, if cartoon cats and mice were engaged in a never-ending battle with each other, assailing each other with frying pans, hammers, dismemberment and the like. Truly awful to ponder.
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