Back in 1970, I doubt John Cleese ever rubbed his hands in glee at the prospect of transforming the Monty Python sketch “The Ministry of Silly Walks” into a mobile game. Not that the concept of a smartphone was even a thing 40 years ago. Yet, here we are in 2014 and right now, for around 200 cents, you can download Boondoggle Studios’ side-scrolling platformer, based on the fictional organisation for absurd gaits. It’s even voiced by Cleese himself.
So, what does The Ministry of Silly Walks entail? It’s a 2D endless runner (think Canabalt), except you’re also collecting coins and dodging birds, letter boxes and girders. The game’s feature list says you can expect “Sumptuous 3D Graphics” and “Realistic physics and ragdoll”, in addition to in-app purchases to bling out your Cleese-shaped character.
The burning question — other than “Why?”: Is it any good? That depends on which store you purchase the game from. According to the denizens of the App Store, it’s pretty bad, averaging 1.5 stars from 12 reviews. Admittedly, it’s not a large sample size but it does indicate a certain level of crappiness.
On the other hand, if you head over to Google Play, it’s travelling well with 4/5 stars from 78 reviews. Either the Android crowd is more familiar (and accommodating) of a game based on a Monty Python sketch… or the game is somewhat enjoyable, if utterly ridiculous.
[App Store ($1.99) and Google Play ($1.79), via Geekologie]