Hidden Gem: Wind-up Knight is an awesome side-scrolling action game

A little bit of chatter has been going on about a game called Wind-Up Knight which came out on Oct. 18, 2011. Developed by Robot Invader, Wind-Up Knight is a fast-paced side-scrolling action game wrapped in 3D graphics for high-end Android devices and it is definitely both fun and challenging.

Some serious polishing went into Wind-Up Knight as the gameplay, although geared for high-end Android devices which is just about anything new, is tight. It's fast, fun and it is like a medieval Sonic the Hedgehog in terms of gameplay.

You play as a knight constantly running forward having to dodge traps coming at you from different angles, monsters who want to kill you which you need to slice with your sword, collect coins, use your shield to block yourself from other traps, ninja jump up walls just to get to the exit on each stage. Since you are constantly moving, it will test your reflexes and thus provides quite the challenge when you have to roll under spike then jump a collapsing bridge before swinging your sword as you land to kill a monster.

Features:

• Over 50 soul-crushing levels.
• Pick-up-and-play game play.
• Super high-end 3D graphics technology. A showcase for your phone.
• Crazy platforming action: double jumping, wall sliding, dive and roll, just to name a few cool moves.
• A secret card is hidden in EVERY level.
• Four unique worlds.
• Deviously cute art style.
• Power up with game-changing equipment and weapons.
• Original soundtrack by Josh Whelchel.

The great part about this game, well there are many actually but one is that as a constant running game, it's multi-level and multi-action. It's not your typical just run, run, run, jump, run, jump type of game. You have other mechanics you need to concentrate on doing while doing all the running, rolling and jumping.

Graphically, the game is great and very polished in those terms as well. In fact it is as if the eye candy can almost be a distraction for you when you're trying to concentrate on doing all these things in-game, not that I'm complaining. They are extremely well done and look fantastic on my G2X.

This is not an easy game but it's not so difficult that you'll want to give up. Instead, it's just difficult enough to keep taking whacks at until you pass a level you are stuck on which makes this a very addictive game. Currently, at the time of writing this, the downloads on the Android Market are 100-500 which is amazing considering the quality of this game. It's just one more example of how a great game can slip through the cracks because of a lack of a 'Just In' section. Thankfully everyone loves games so we caught wind of this one so we could post about it.

Originally we heard it from Taylor from AndroidAndMe talking about it, then got a tip in from Brian Doan so you can thank those two guys for getting our sights set on this title. You can nab Wind-Up Knight off the Android Market for free and comes with in-game purchases for items to give you a head start.

P.S. You'll like the in-game emails you get. Quite funny.

Developer Website: Robot Invader

Android Market Link: Wind-Up Knight