Plot: What’s it about?
The concept here is simple, you’re a redneck who idolizes Evel Knievel and you’ve decided to follow in his footsteps. Of course, you don’t have the kind of resources to put on epic level stunts, so you have to start simple. You know, jump some stacks of tires in your backyard, riding a motorcycle that looks ready to collapse at any second. But complete a few jumps, earn some cash, and soon enough, you can upgrade your ride and your costume. After all, you need to look like a daredevil too, right? Hill Bill lets you ascend the ladder of daredevil fame, one jump at a time. The controls are simple, just position your cycle, hit the gas, then gesture for various tricks and stunts, and make sure you land as planned. The more tricks you pull off, the more stars you earn and by turn, the more “star spangled bucks” you pocket. You then use the bucks to upgrade to better cycles and equip some cooler threads, so you always have some cool loot to look forward to.
Hill Bill is a simple game, you just do some basic gestures and make sure your timing windows are accurate. Seems simple, but to master the game you’ll need to practice and learn to get the most out of your short stunt rides. You’ll need to squeeze every split second of awesome out of your runs, especially if you want to earn tons of bucks and score the three star rating. I was able to finish most levels with ease, but getting all three stars proved to be tricky in most cases. This lets you rack up some bucks with one or two star runs, so you never feel stuck or frustrated. Just knock out some levels, grab some new gear, then work on getting that last little trick you need to master the stage. I found the gestures to be easy and smooth, to the point where I can’t recall even once having any trouble with the tricks. I love these games you can pick up for a few minutes and enjoy, or sit down and log an hour, with either approach yielding results and entertainment. So Hill Bill might not be breaking a lot of new ground, but it is well crafted and fun, which is enough reason to give it a look.
Video: How does it look?
The visuals are fun and colorful, with a lot more attention to detail than I expected. The character and cycle designs look cool, while the backgrounds seem detailed and alive. The stunt tracks look good too, with a nice variety of props and potential hazards to soak in. Of course, you won’t often have time to check out the scenery, but Hill Bill looks great.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound design is driven by fun, so expect cartoon style sound effects and music. That suits the visuals and tone of the game however, so no complaints there. The music is snappy but never annoys, while the voice work is minimal, but has that special redneck charm you might expect. This kind of game isn’t going to immerse you in an audio soundfield, but Hill Bill has solid sound design that never disappoints.
