Daily iPad App: Cut the Buttons HD lets you play with scissors

Some of the most compelling iOS games provide a perfectly-tuned example of an established genre. Other strive to create a completely new experience, with varying levels of success. The latter often stands out, if only for the bold attempt at doing something new.

Cut the Buttons is a great example of a game that's rather unlike anything I've seen on the App Store. The mechanics are akin to Fruit Ninja, in that targets fly across the screen and it's your job to destroy them. But instead of a slashing sword, Cut the Buttons uses a pair of scissors.

Game play is intuitive to anyone who's used scissors. No, you can't poke your fingers through the handles, but the multitouch display lets you control each arm independently, just as you would a physical pair of scissors. The graphics use a great too, offering a trompe l'oeil style that makes the scissors and the buttons very realistic.

Simply slicing away at buttons would be too easy, so there are some you're not supposed to hit. If you miss too many, it's game over. Cut the Buttons is done in the arcade style, with several modes to play with, as well as a multiplayer mode that puts two sets of scissors on the same screen. Cut the Buttons is definitely something to see, and the HD version is the way to go. The game's available for just US$1.99 right now.