Smash Cops

By CoolAppsMan

Available for iPad, iPhone, Blackberry and Android

If you crave a little online vigilante justice in your spare time then Smash Cops is the app for you. Ram your way round the neighborhood, taking criminals off the road by crashing into them in your police vehicle. Set in an urban backdrop your Smash Cops perspective is from the overhead police helicopter (seen as a live television feed); the perfect place to survey the carnage you are causing.

What is Smash Cops?: A novel, next generation version of Grand Theft Auto where you are encouraged to stop criminals by destroying their getaway vehicles. The game incorporates a modicum of skill testing assignments that sees you navigating obstacle courses at high speed, but for the most part this neat app is about stopping criminals from getting away… dead or alive.

Aim of the game?: With 22 levels to conquer, Smash Cops is a satisfyingly chunky app that kept us at Cool Apps Man occupied far longer then apps of a similar theme. Missions vary from pursuits and emergency response calls to driving challenges where your one finger steering prowess is put to the test. Working alone or as part of a police unit, your aim in general is to stop criminals from crossing the state line (thus evading the long arm of the law). But there is enough variation within Smash Cops to keep even the most seasoned gamer entertained. CAM particularly enjoyed the emergency dispatch call scenarios where you follow a series of markers to reach a crime scene before time runs out. With each mission successfully completed, you will gain a ‘super-cop’ power-up enabling you to rather interestingly ‘hit harder and last longer.’  Progress from police cadet all the way up to ‘brutus’ and eventually the dizzy heights of police captain collecting vehicle upgrades along the way.

Best Bits: Despite heated debate, CAM really feels that the new style controls of Smash Cops make gaming all the more enjoyable. By placing one finger behind your cop car you can ‘push’ it along and with acceleration automatically. Control is much more precise than with the old on screen joystick method.

Worst Bits: The cheesy music that accompanies almost every mission could be given a miss, but with new functionality to listen to your iTunes library while playing Smash Cops this feature can be overlooked. Additionally, the cop cars that join forces with you on certain missions seem to be driven by police officers with severe eyesight problems and are terrible drivers that end up being a hindrance rather than help. We would all be in serious problems if the NYPD actually drove like some of the clowns in this game.

Helpful Hints and Tips: For maximum effect (think rolling cars, fires and indiscriminate civil damage), be sure to ram the criminal’s cars from the front or side.