SPiN is one of those games where you really need to play it to understand why it's so good. Becoming great at it requires you to think fast to score maximum points, and it has plenty of features both for casual players (with it's Frantic mode) and the shape recognition masters.

The objective is straightforward - spin (see, it's even in the title of the game) objects around until you match the silhouette onscreen. You do this by swiping your fingers across the screen - the shape will always rotate in 90 degree increments. Swiping your finger from left to right rotates the object right along its height axis, from down to up and the object rotates up along its width axis, and by rotating two fingers clockwise, the object rotates clockwise along its depth axis. The controls are pretty easy to master once you have played through a few objects.

Objects come in many different sizes and styles. You have bears, bananas, boats, cars, consoles and so on. There's 100 of them in total, and you may or may not encounter them more than once per game. That's because SPiN has an innovative game mechanic, in Arcade mode, that picks up on failure and rewards fast matches with a minimum of moves. Find a match with one swipe? The game will throw you another silhouette for the same object. The idea is that enough perfect matches add more to your bonus multiplier, which makes big scores even bigger. Failing to find a match, or using too many swipes will erase your bonus completely, and take a chunk off your time as well. You'll then be given another object to rotate - and so on. Running out of time completely ends the game - if you're lucky you'll have set the new high score, but there's no leader board.

There's a few other modes to play - Frantic just has you matching objects against a clock, which ticks down rapidly - there's no penalty for not matching a shape - you either match it or run out of time. Minute Rush sees you matching as many shapes as you can within a minute - but it doesn't feel as fast as Frantic. Of the three action modes, Arcade is the most deep, but Frantic is absolutely perfect for a really quick game. There's also a Free Play mode, where you can spin away to your heart's content. Presumably this is just to help you get used to the controls, or the many different objects in game - but it's a good addition nonetheless.

The graphics in SPiN are of a really high standard - crazy backgrounds and over the top visual effects. Coupled with some fun techno music, the presentation really helps add another dimension to SPiN. Our only concern was that sometimes the silhouettes seemed to blend in too much with the background, which did get annoying. This issue didn't crop up much, but an update could fix the problem.

Overall, this is a fantastic game which deserves a high rating - there's lots to do, with trophies unlocked as you get better at SPiN, four modes of play and a superb visual aesthetic. The letdown comes with sometimes confusing silhouettes - for me, the game did get frustrating after a while playing through - and some of the objects aren't instantly recognizable. But, if you have the patience, this is a game you must have on your iPhone - a steal at £1.79.

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