Fail FTW!

It’s been a while since I’ve raved about Facebook games and the like and that’s for a good reason – they were finally getting boring. Games like Mafia Wars may start out as fun but when doing each mission is as simple as pressing one button it’s really a question of will power to keep going rather than any level of skill. However, just as a big chunk of my casual games were being left by the wayside I was saved… by the next gen of Facebook games!

There’s been a variety of new games popping up claiming to be next gen with that mainly meaning you get some graphics showing any fights or missions you involve yourself with. Even this gives these games something that really was lacking. Don’t get me wrong, I love stats as much as the next geek but I also like to have a bloody scene to watch at the same time! One game, however, has finally given me what I want in my FB games – the ability to fail. Where is the challenge in pressing a button and knowing that every time it will result in you successfully completing the mission?!

So whilst my mafia is now unguarded and my farm rarely looked at, I find more of my attention focused on Gangsta Pets by Zinky Zonk. It’s basically the same idea as Mafia Wars, apart from the fact that my character is a blue monkey, but each mission involves you clicking to initiate things at the right time to avoid the cops, security cameras, etc. Time it incorrectly, or in some cases don’t pay attention, and your energy might be spent but you’ve failed. As someone who is so obsessed with winning it really was a strange sensation when I failed a mission and saw it come up at the top of my app. I was… pleased, and I guess the lesson is that without an option to fail, winning means very little.

With different cities, a huge variety of jobs and humorous animations to boot Gangsta Pets is such a step up and I honestly can’t see myself ever being hooked on Mafia Wars again. Anybody can just press the same button a bunch of times but as my monkey progresses and I get more complex jobs I feel a warm glow of satisfaction at the fact that I finally feel like I’m participating in my game.

I think it’s reached the stage where anyone playing these games does need something new so you can definitely take this as a personal recommendation to give Gangsta Pets a go. Although still in Beta with new things being constantly added, the graphics, ability to manufacture items and the fact you have to have your eyes open really make this game stand out from the ridiculous number of similar apps out there. So ditch your wizards or whatever even if only for one day and come and be a bulldog with a machine gun, or something similar, personally I’ll stick with the monkey. See you on the streets!