Penguins and yetis and eagles – oh my!
I love the iPad, me – simple gameplay married inventive graphics seems to keep the platform rolling in new, fun ways to waste an afternoon, or even a simple train ride. Ski Safari certainly applies to the latter – you, as a skier, have to outrun an avalanche while also pulling off tricks and riding animals to boost your score before the inevitable white out.
Controls adhere to the classic iPad simplicity – touching the screen makes your little bloke jump, and holding it down in midair rotates him in a flip. Land a flip – get some bonus points and a speed boost, screw up, and you’ll be tapping frantically to get him back on his feet. Throw in the ability to ride yetis, penguins, eagles and snowmobiles, and suddenly the frantic, obstacle strewn slopes become a crazy death run requiring better and better timing to complete. 
It’s certainly fun – despite the basic nature, the scoring and tricks (and the ability to rack em up) mean that Ski Safari really wears the notion of “just one more go” well. Pulling off a back flip while riding a yeti with a penguin only gets better when you then ski along a cloud for extra points, and hit speeds where jumps require you to think about your landing as well as your takeoff – often, a mistime leads to a roll down a hill and the catch up of the wall of snow that signals a game over screen.
it’s only 69p, and for that, it’s certainly worth every penny
It’s simple yet cutesy graphics do no harm either – reminiscent of Jetpack Joyride in both its gameplay and cartoon characters, Ski Safari has charm in spades, whether through the yeti calling out tricks, or the bobble of your skiers hat. The cheesy soundtrack is appealing too, yet slides towards an inevitable grating fiftieth repeat, by which point you’ll be stabbing the mute switch for some respite.
The truth is, though, that it doesn’t last – you’ll likely see everything Ski Safari has to offer within the first three or four runs, and although the addition of challenges (such as ride five penguins in one run, or back flip a snowmobile) add some flair, in truth, it’s all over a little quickly. It still prompts the odd five minutes of play while waiting for a bus, but suffers a little from the problem that there are better games out there that do the same and more. But then, as is often the case, it’s only 69p, and for that, it’s certainly worth every penny.
The Bad: Gets repetitive eventually; score attack gameplay only keeps interest so long; shows all it’s tricks too quickly
Silver Y Award