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'Canabalt' Updated with Global Leaderboards

posted December 14th, 2009 4:54 AM EST by arn in $2.99, Action, iPhone games, iPod touch games

180061_5For you high-score addicts who insist on global high scores in your games, Canabalt has been updated to version 1.2 which includes:

  • global leaderboards
  • new alternate music track
  • new obstacles

Here's a video showing the new features, and, as always, you can play the game in your web browser at Canabalt.com.

App Store Link: Canabalt, $2.99

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  • Elkas

    How the Hell do you avoid that Enourmous Obstacle???

  • Elkas

    How the Hell do you avoid that Enourmous Obstacle???

  • habolt

    just can't see myself paying that much for this game.

  • habolt

    just can't see myself paying that much for this game.

  • http://www.silentrocco.com Silent Rocco

    Jump on it.

  • http://www.silentrocco.com Silent Rocco

    Jump on it.

  • http://www.silentrocco.com Silent Rocco

    What is the "now playing" info in the upper right corner of the menu for?

  • http://www.silentrocco.com Silent Rocco

    What is the "now playing" info in the upper right corner of the menu for?

  • Mark

    the update gives u access to two songs, the 'now playing' in the top right shows you which of the 2 background songs is playing. The way to avoid that MASSIVE obstacle is by aiming your jump so that you can jump on top of it! This update makes a great game even better and even more competitive thatnks to the online leaderboards. my top score is 14,000m or something so far

  • Mark

    the update gives u access to two songs, the 'now playing' in the top right shows you which of the 2 background songs is playing. The way to avoid that MASSIVE obstacle is by aiming your jump so that you can jump on top of it! This update makes a great game even better and even more competitive thatnks to the online leaderboards. my top score is 14,000m or something so far

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Thanks, I had sound turned off until now :) So I couldn't hear the difference.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Thanks, I had sound turned off until now :) So I couldn't hear the difference.

  • Brian

    This is a .99 cent game. At best. Beware.

  • Brian

    This is a .99 cent game. At best. Beware.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Perhaps for you. For others it's one of the coolest casual games out there with perfect design, great music and therefore worth the asked price...

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Perhaps for you. For others it's one of the coolest casual games out there with perfect design, great music and therefore worth the asked price...

  • Pacifik

    This is my favourite game on the iPhone and I have tried dozens of good games, but I keep coming back to this when I have a few minutes spare. Casual game (ideal for short playing session), skill based and it has that "one more go" addiction of Trials HD and Civilization. Other games give me the 'can't be bothered' feeling but really into this for the last 2 months.

  • Pacifik

    This is my favourite game on the iPhone and I have tried dozens of good games, but I keep coming back to this when I have a few minutes spare. Casual game (ideal for short playing session), skill based and it has that "one more go" addiction of Trials HD and Civilization. Other games give me the 'can't be bothered' feeling but really into this for the last 2 months.

  • http://www.nothowitlooks.com Brett Archibald

    Meh... Global leaderboards are a fail in the way they're implemented. They only show us a handful of the top-players, and not our own position / placement on the leaderboards.
    Who wants to see OTHER people's scores, without seeing where we sit amongst them?
    ----------
    "Here's a bunch of people you've never heard of who played better than you. Better luck next time."
    ----------

  • http://www.nothowitlooks.com Brett Archibald

    Meh... Global leaderboards are a fail in the way they're implemented. They only show us a handful of the top-players, and not our own position / placement on the leaderboards.
    Who wants to see OTHER people's scores, without seeing where we sit amongst them?
    ----------
    "Here's a bunch of people you've never heard of who played better than you. Better luck next time."
    ----------

  • Symbolist

    I've played this game a hundred times, for sure. Each time 5 - 15 minutes. That a whole lot of time... 15 hours at a minimum, I guess.
    I've bought games cheaper games, I've bought games more expensive. I've had a playtime per game... maybe 10 minutes - 4 hours on the average.
    So "Canabalt" was worth the money! And I would buy it again.
    And the game is presented in a tasteful and cool design. This game has style and looks grownup. Nothing I have to be ashamed of having it on my device.

  • Symbolist

    I've played this game a hundred times, for sure. Each time 5 - 15 minutes. That a whole lot of time... 15 hours at a minimum, I guess.
    I've bought games cheaper games, I've bought games more expensive. I've had a playtime per game... maybe 10 minutes - 4 hours on the average.
    So "Canabalt" was worth the money! And I would buy it again.
    And the game is presented in a tasteful and cool design. This game has style and looks grownup. Nothing I have to be ashamed of having it on my device.

  • Bushizza

    Jesus. I can't believe you lot are still moaning about the price.

    If I was a developer I wouldn't *want* you as a customer. You can f off.

    Cheers.

  • Bushizza

    Jesus. I can't believe you lot are still moaning about the price.

    If I was a developer I wouldn't *want* you as a customer. You can f off.

    Cheers.

  • blackHorse

    The free version is the best!

  • blackHorse

    The free version is the best!

  • Cranker

    If that's the way they did it, the wait was definitely NOT worth it :( :( :(

  • Cranker

    If that's the way they did it, the wait was definitely NOT worth it :( :( :(

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    It's about trying and playing! You see your local scores. But 50 first places online are totally ok. This is the goal to reach - motivation enough.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    It's about trying and playing! You see your local scores. But 50 first places online are totally ok. This is the goal to reach - motivation enough.

  • Corey

    I been waiting weeks for .99-COME ON !!!!

  • Corey

    I been waiting weeks for .99-COME ON !!!!

  • Corey

    It should be .99!!!

  • Corey

    What free version? On the App Store?

  • Corey

    It should be .99!!!

  • Corey

    What free version? On the App Store?

  • sandy

    Who cares which customer you want? When many better games cost less, this minigame at 2.99 is too much. And as a consumer, someone has full freedom about moaning about price.

  • sandy

    Who cares which customer you want? When many better games cost less, this minigame at 2.99 is too much. And as a consumer, someone has full freedom about moaning about price.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    You should get a job to understand the worth of work.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    You should get a job to understand the worth of work.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    He means the flash version, which he cannot play in the bus... :)

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    He means the flash version, which he cannot play in the bus... :)

  • SteveJ

    This is a great game that I keep coming back to. For that reason it's worth the price. I downloaded the update this morning, but have only had a short time to play it so far. Haven't seen the new objects yet.

  • SteveJ

    This is a great game that I keep coming back to. For that reason it's worth the price. I downloaded the update this morning, but have only had a short time to play it so far. Haven't seen the new objects yet.

  • K

    He could if he had a RDP server set up at his work, like I do haha. I should try it and see how laggy it would be like that compared to the native app.

    This game is a fun, quick time-killer for short periods. That's about it, really. People all have different ideas of value, I guess. If developers put time into apps, they should be rewarded thusly, and clearly the game is selling well at the current price.

  • K

    He could if he had a RDP server set up at his work, like I do haha. I should try it and see how laggy it would be like that compared to the native app.

    This game is a fun, quick time-killer for short periods. That's about it, really. People all have different ideas of value, I guess. If developers put time into apps, they should be rewarded thusly, and clearly the game is selling well at the current price.

  • TheTheory

    I'll just leap in and say that this is totally worth the price. Ridiculously addicting and looks gorgeous. The fact that it is receiving a massive update like this shows to me that the developers care about their game... hopefully we'll see more in the future.

  • TheTheory

    I'll just leap in and say that this is totally worth the price. Ridiculously addicting and looks gorgeous. The fact that it is receiving a massive update like this shows to me that the developers care about their game... hopefully we'll see more in the future.

  • Lukeb

    Maintaining a certain minimum speed whenever possible seems to be key to overcoming the new, otherwise game-ending obstacle. If the speed is at least moderate, and a jump beginning just after the warning sound is held through the whole arc, then it is possible to land right on it, followed by another jump to safety. The update seems to make it so that the obstacle course in general tends to turn out more fair when one is traveling faster. Those low windows still get me more often than not, but they seem less frequent in this edition - a welcomed change.

    The new app asks one to set up an account, but it does not track scores associated with that account. Instead it seems to use the account, once set up, to send score feeds to the leaderboard in a way that ends up being equivalent to the previous, twitter-based system, which I never used. Thus the system tracks runs independently of the player accounts that generated them.
    So even if the global system displayed the top 100 or more, what you'd still see are many names repeated.

  • Lukeb

    Maintaining a certain minimum speed whenever possible seems to be key to overcoming the new, otherwise game-ending obstacle. If the speed is at least moderate, and a jump beginning just after the warning sound is held through the whole arc, then it is possible to land right on it, followed by another jump to safety. The update seems to make it so that the obstacle course in general tends to turn out more fair when one is traveling faster. Those low windows still get me more often than not, but they seem less frequent in this edition - a welcomed change.

    The new app asks one to set up an account, but it does not track scores associated with that account. Instead it seems to use the account, once set up, to send score feeds to the leaderboard in a way that ends up being equivalent to the previous, twitter-based system, which I never used. Thus the system tracks runs independently of the player accounts that generated them.
    So even if the global system displayed the top 100 or more, what you'd still see are many names repeated.

  • MrMuesli

    Better is really subjective. Some people think 'better' means jamming up a game with content even though the game play or iDevice-sentricness of the game sucks. Canabalt does what it does REALLY well which is worth every penny it costs. Personally, I'm still bitter about games like C&C and its lack of any challenge whatsoever. Or Battle for Wesnoth with it's absolutely dire interface. Now those are games that should lower their price, not Canabalt.

  • MrMuesli

    Better is really subjective. Some people think 'better' means jamming up a game with content even though the game play or iDevice-sentricness of the game sucks. Canabalt does what it does REALLY well which is worth every penny it costs. Personally, I'm still bitter about games like C&C and its lack of any challenge whatsoever. Or Battle for Wesnoth with it's absolutely dire interface. Now those are games that should lower their price, not Canabalt.

  • Brian

    You shouldn't ride a bus unless you're poor or a schoolboy.

  • tsharpfilm

    You have to jump on it.

  • Brian

    You shouldn't ride a bus unless you're poor or a schoolboy.

  • tsharpfilm

    You have to jump on it.

  • tsharpfilm

    Here's a suggestion. Play the free online version for about a week or two, and if you still love it after that week, and if you already own Jet Car Stunts, Zen Bound, Soosiz, Doodle Jump, and geoDefense, Canabalt 1.2 MIGHT be worth the purchase. With the new online leaderboard, obstacles, and soundtrack option, it does feel like a more complete game, and I don't regret my purchase AS MUCH now.

  • tsharpfilm

    Here's a suggestion. Play the free online version for about a week or two, and if you still love it after that week, and if you already own Jet Car Stunts, Zen Bound, Soosiz, Doodle Jump, and geoDefense, Canabalt 1.2 MIGHT be worth the purchase. With the new online leaderboard, obstacles, and soundtrack option, it does feel like a more complete game, and I don't regret my purchase AS MUCH now.

  • TheTheory

    Wow, there are a lot of great reasons to take the bus beyond just "poor" or "school boy". In places like Europe, for example, public transport is one of the dominant ways of traveling. Aside from that, it is a better choice for the environmentally conscious. While one bus uses more gas and puts out more exhaust than one car, the bus fits a whole swab of people on it, making the gas used/exhaust expelled much kinder on the environment per person than can be said with a car.

  • TheTheory

    Wow, there are a lot of great reasons to take the bus beyond just "poor" or "school boy". In places like Europe, for example, public transport is one of the dominant ways of traveling. Aside from that, it is a better choice for the environmentally conscious. While one bus uses more gas and puts out more exhaust than one car, the bus fits a whole swab of people on it, making the gas used/exhaust expelled much kinder on the environment per person than can be said with a car.

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Thanks, TheTheory. +1
    The money I don't spend on a stupid status symbol, I can use for great games like this :) Public transport in Berlin is awesome...

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Thanks, TheTheory. +1
    The money I don't spend on a stupid status symbol, I can use for great games like this :) Public transport in Berlin is awesome...

  • MrMuesli

    *Sings* "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and".....sorry, all this bus talk is messing with my head I think: /
    Anyway, back to the original point. He probably said it was better because its free *sigh*

  • MrMuesli

    *Sings* "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and".....sorry, all this bus talk is messing with my head I think: /
    Anyway, back to the original point. He probably said it was better because its free *sigh*

  • game developers should be forc

    Agreed. The less interaction with those unsavory types, the better.

  • game developers should be forced to dance on the street for nickels

    Agreed. The less interaction with those unsavory types, the better.

  • John

    Update wad nice, goes from something that should be free to something worth a buck. I paid the 2.99 in hopes of more updates like this. Good job, don't change the gameplay, just give us more (simple cosmetic)obstacles and make the background change and grow as you progress further.

  • John

    Update wad nice, goes from something that should be free to something worth a buck. I paid the 2.99 in hopes of more updates like this. Good job, don't change the gameplay, just give us more (simple cosmetic)obstacles and make the background change and grow as you progress further.

  • pachi72

    This game is awesome..reminds me alot of Mirrors Edge.

  • pachi72

    This game is awesome..reminds me alot of Mirrors Edge.

  • Franky Stainz

    Don't buy it then.

  • Franky Stainz

    Don't buy it then.

  • Franky Stainz

    "This isn't worth more than .99" is the new "First!"

  • Franky Stainz

    "This isn't worth more than .99" is the new "First!"

  • sk8erdude50

    i dont know what tsharpfilm is talking about, but as far as I know, after playing the flash version I knew i had to have it

  • sk8erdude50

    i dont know what tsharpfilm is talking about, but as far as I know, after playing the flash version I knew i had to have it

  • Yao MUNG

    The McRib is back!! Oh, and if you think $2.99 is too much money for a great game then go f*** yourself.

  • Yao MUNG

    The McRib is back!! Oh, and if you think $2.99 is too much money for a great game then go f*** yourself.

  • http://www.jindofox.com Jindo Fox

    Amen. It's very disappointing to see that people with the ability to use a computer and an iPhone get hung up over 2 bucks for a slick little piece of design. Sad.

  • http://www.jindofox.com Jindo Fox

    Amen. It's very disappointing to see that people with the ability to use a computer and an iPhone get hung up over 2 bucks for a slick little piece of design. Sad.

  • benme

    this game bores me... i dont care what the price is but why does everyone like this game?

  • benme

    this game bores me... i dont care what the price is but why does everyone like this game?

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Just because you think, it's boring ;)

  • http://www.yourpersonalrobot.com your personal robot

    Just because you think, it's boring ;)

  • tsharpfilm

    Isn't it a strange fascination? Why in the world are so many critics, in the year 2009, going ape over a 1-button jumping game with 8-bit graphics? That would be like a techno producer jumping for joy at the thought of buying a 40-year old Moog Synthesizer, and seeing no issue with spending more on that Moog than a modern digital synth. It's truly baffling... But whatever. To each his / her own.

  • tsharpfilm

    Isn't it a strange fascination? Why in the world are so many critics, in the year 2009, going ape over a 1-button jumping game with 8-bit graphics? That would be like a techno producer jumping for joy at the thought of buying a 40-year old Moog Synthesizer, and seeing no issue with spending more on that Moog than a modern digital synth. It's truly baffling... But whatever. To each his / her own.

  • Yao MUNG

    This game is good in a special way. The first few you times you play your like,"wha"? Then you realize there's no end and your like, "ohh". Thennn you start noticing the subtleties and nuances of the game, and you begin building rhythm and complex strategies (e.g. Hitting boxes on purpose to slow down) for a game that once seemed so simple, and it makes you take a step back like , "zuh"? It's at this point you realize that the whole game is beautiful in its simplicity and that it's actually a visual allegory that portrays the state of today's youth and how running from your problems will never solve anything and will ultimately end in a race of alien robots taking over the world. Then your like,"ahhh."

  • Yao MUNG

    This game is good in a special way. The first few you times you play your like,"wha"? Then you realize there's no end and your like, "ohh". Thennn you start noticing the subtleties and nuances of the game, and you begin building rhythm and complex strategies (e.g. Hitting boxes on purpose to slow down) for a game that once seemed so simple, and it makes you take a step back like , "zuh"? It's at this point you realize that the whole game is beautiful in its simplicity and that it's actually a visual allegory that portrays the state of today's youth and how running from your problems will never solve anything and will ultimately end in a race of alien robots taking over the world. Then your like,"ahhh."

  • MrMuesli

    Lol. Couldn't have said it better myself. Fantastic: )

  • MrMuesli

    Lol. Couldn't have said it better myself. Fantastic: )

  • Ender

    "Better" is definitely subjective. This game only has one button (jump) and a very repetitive game style, and yet it's one of the top three games I've ever played. I seriously have trouble stopping playing once I've started. Totally worth the price for people who like it.

  • Ender

    "Better" is definitely subjective. This game only has one button (jump) and a very repetitive game style, and yet it's one of the top three games I've ever played. I seriously have trouble stopping playing once I've started. Totally worth the price for people who like it.

  • Ender

    And then I was typing and it's like "blip blip blip blip" and then I hit the button and it was like "zap" and I was like "huh?" and I had lost my paper, and it was a really good paper.

  • Ender

    And then I was typing and it's like "blip blip blip blip" and then I hit the button and it was like "zap" and I was like "huh?" and I had lost my paper, and it was a really good paper.

  • Narziss

    Fantastic....f***ing fantastic statement made me buy the game - haha!

    Would be cool if reds and oranges started creeping into the background as you got to 10 or 15k. Hmmm.... or maybe not, maybe it should remain a bleek world in which the sun never rises above the smog.

  • Narziss

    Fantastic....f***ing fantastic statement made me buy the game - haha!

    Would be cool if reds and oranges started creeping into the background as you got to 10 or 15k. Hmmm.... or maybe not, maybe it should remain a bleek world in which the sun never rises above the smog.

  • Psy-Phi

    I too am waiting for it to hit $0.99; it may be worth $2.99 to many of you -- but to others it isn't. If I can play it free on the web I'm not paying because Apple doesn't allow Flash on the iPhone. I'll just wait. But I'm not in to it as much as some of you are. So I don't mind waiting. I just don't see the value in it at $2.99; I could very well be wrong and I'll only know that after I buy it. But I've got more apps than can fit on my iPhone's pages, so I'm not exactly bored.

  • Psy-Phi

    I too am waiting for it to hit $0.99; it may be worth $2.99 to many of you -- but to others it isn't. If I can play it free on the web I'm not paying because Apple doesn't allow Flash on the iPhone. I'll just wait. But I'm not in to it as much as some of you are. So I don't mind waiting. I just don't see the value in it at $2.99; I could very well be wrong and I'll only know that after I buy it. But I've got more apps than can fit on my iPhone's pages, so I'm not exactly bored.


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