Games don't have to be original to be great. Sometimes, all a developer needs to do is take an existing concept and refine it.
That's exactly what FuturLab has done with Fuel Tiracas. At its core, it's a clone of Whac-A-Mole, but the addition of a cool sci-fi setting and tense multi-tasking makes this a welcome - if slightly limited - entry to the PlayStation Mobile library.
Set on the inhospitable planet of Tiracas, the game revolves around booting up nuclear reactors in order to generate breathable air for the various bases which have been set up on the hostile world.
Terror-forming
To do this, you have to fuel-up various gauges to their optimum level, which then generates the power needed to create breathable air. You do this by tapping one of the six fuel nodes located on either side of the screen - which is where Whack-a-Mole's influence is most keenly felt.
However, Fuel Tiracas is much more than just a test of your reactions - it also pushes your ability to multitask to the limit. The more fuel gauges that are present on each level the harder it becomes - gauges don't remain at their optimum level forever, and as soon as you move on to topping up another gauge the others begin to slowly deplete.
This means you're fighting a constant battle to charge up the gauges and keep them at the right level - something which is easier said than done on the later stages. To spice things up even more, you're playing against the clock, and your best time is stored for posterity in the game's online leaderboard.
Fuel up
As tense and enthralling as Fuel Tiracas is, it doesn't take long for repetition to set in. The fundamental gameplay doesn't change, although variables such as contaminated fuel nodes help mix things up a little.
Ultimately, though, the game is a neat way to expend a few minutes but can't hope to offer any long-term entertainment.
Still, for the price alone this is worth experience - at the time of writing, it's one of the cheapest games on PlayStation Mobile. If you're after an effective way to spend time between meetings or on the bus, this is as good as any.
Fuel Tiracas
Although it lacks the long-term appeal that many other PlayStation Mobile titles boast, Fuel Tiracas offers tense and challenging gameplay that is best sampled in short bursts
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.