Overview
I’ve enjoyed surfing games since I played T & C Surf Designs on the NES back in the day, and have been on the lookout for a good Android surfing game. I’m happy to say that a new game from Biodroid called Billabong Surf Trip is a slick new surfing game that was well worth the wait.
Gameplay
Controlling your surfer and catching the right wave is made simple the way Biodroid has set things up. Once you see a wave you can paddle out to it or use the arrow to go directly to the action. The size and color of the arrow let you know what type of wave is headed your way; it’s basically a color system where red is bad, yellow is decent, and green is the best. Your left joystick controls the surfer while the right one lets you pull off maneuvers. You can also tilt your phone to ride the tube if you hit the sweet spot on a wave. Pulling off sick moves does require energy and you can build some up by pulling off simple maneuvers, you will lose energy if you wipe out so you’ll definitely want to stay on the board.
Features
Billabong Surf Trip is all about surfing so you’re going to get some moves, but you’ll get some gear as well. You can customize your characters general appearance and then deck him out with over 30 different pieces of gear including shorts, shirts, and wetsuits. There are six different moves you can pull off with Aeriels, Cutbacks, Curving 360’s, and Snaps just to name a few. When you pull off moves you’ll earn the games form of currency called Mondo points, and you’ll use those points to buy new boards and gear from the surf shop.
Verdict
Overall, Billabong Surf Trip is a great surfing game and great addition to the market. The controls are responsive and make pulling off tricks fun; the game also has some depth with all the unlockable gear and different beaches. Billabong Surf Trip is free to download but I’m unsure of how many spots (says 18) you get as there’s an option to “upgrade” the game through an in-app purchase for $3.27 that gives you 11 more surf spots along with new maneuvers, boards, and shorts. After looking at market comments it seems as if some people have issues running the game on particular phones, that being said I’m happy to report I had no issues with the game on both devices I ran it on (captivate and streak) . If you feel like tearing up the waves for awhile you can pick up Biodroid’s Billabong Surf Shop in the Android market.