ESPN Cameraman for iPhone

05.01.2009
If you've got a local newspaper within reach, chances are there's a Spot the Differences puzzle somewhere within its pages. Even with newspapers struggling to hold on to readers, Spot the Differences puzzles, along with the Blondie cartoon and the Dear Abby column, are well-nigh unkillable. Spot the Differences puzzles will probably survive the end of print journalism, the crumbling of Western Civilization, and perhaps even Armageddon.

In case you're among the uninitiated, a Spot the Difference puzzle features two virtually identical images placed side by side. Of course, the images aren't completely identical--there are usually a handful of subtle differences you're supposed to spot, marshaling only your keen powers of pattern recognition and the occasional furtive glance at the solution.

And now a Spot the Differences puzzle game has made its way to the iPhone, courtesy of . The game, ESPN Cameraman, puts an athletic spin on the Spot the Differences conceit, challenging you to find subtle variations in images supplied by the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports. If your morning routine includes a check of the Sports section and a few minutes matching wits with a Spot the Differences puzzle, this is, quite obviously, the game for you.

Three Down, Two to Go: You've got to find five differences between two otherwise similar images in ESPN Cameraman before the red bar on the left runs down. (The glove on his left hand, Phil! Tap there!)Gameplay in ESPN Cameraman is pretty simple--you're charged with finding five differences between two otherwise similar sports images. When you spot something that looks out-of-place--a missing logo, a cropped out letter, an inconsistent jersey number--tap on the area of the image. If you're right, you'll hear the sound of a camera clicking while a red circle appears over the spotted difference. If you're wrong, the image will shake and you'll hear the sound of a crowd jeering your incompetence. A red timer bar counts down along the left side of the screen. Each time you guess wrong, more time disappears, so there's little value in just stabbing wildly at one of the pictures, hoping you'll tap one of the differences through sheer luck.

Once you correctly identify the five differences within the alloted time, you move on to the next image. Fail to do so, and you lose a life--you only have but three lives to give for your ESPN Cameraman game. You get points for each difference you correctly spot, plus bonus points for finishing a level quickly.

ESPN Cameraman adds one other element that dramatically improves gameplay--a hints feature in which you get three hints per game. Tap the hints icon, and the game will highlight one of the differences in an image--that's one less you have to spot on your own. Because you've got a limited number of hints per game, you've got to hoard them for when you need them. I like to only use mine when I've already found four of the five differences and I'm running out of time. In that way, ESPN Cameraman adds a modest strategic element to an otherwise straightforward casual game.