Chocolate Advent Calendars

1000 Heroz iPhone game adds a wrinkle to an already great platformer

When I was younger, my favorite part of Christmas was getting an advent calendar that had a little piece of chocolate locked behind a cardboard door. Each day of December on the countdown to Christmas, I was allowed to open the day’s door and eat that chocolate. By the time I was probably getting too old for the calendar I would cheat and eat multiple days’ chocolates in one sitting.

1000 Heroz is, in so many ways, just like those advent calendars. It has been doling out one short speed-run focused level each day since its initial release roughly a week ago. That means that of this writing there are about seven levels to play, each of which takes roughly 20 seconds to run through. But while that doesn’t sound like much now, 1000 Heroz is a game with ambition.

That 1000 in the name? It refers to the number of daily changes that will eventually be available in the game. Which brings us back to the original anecdote I opened up this review with. Once you catch up and have completed the available levels, playing 1000 Heroz is a lot like opening up that advent calendar. Each day you know you’re getting another fun level to check out and try to set a great time for, and each day when you finish you have to wait for the next level.

I have never seen a game dispense content like this but it’s a fascinating way to go. 1000 Heroz backs up its quirky delivery method with concise, enjoyable gameplay, too. While levels are short they are filled with obstacles that make each level feel distinct from the last.

Despite how quickly they can be finished, even the swift ending plays into the depth of the gameplay. Each level in the game has three goal times. Finishing within the “gold” or best goal time gives players three stars. Similar to other apps, the game tracks how many stars you’ve collected throughout your run so you can judge your skill in levels that otherwise feel “easy” to complete.

1000 Heroz takes rankings a step further as well by leaving collectible “relics” in each level that players can accumulate in addition to gold pieces. All of these things, along with the speed times, are posted in the app as well as a global leaderboard so players can see exactly how they rank with other 1000 Heroz players.

The combination of a terrific ranking system, unique level disbursement method and solid platform gameplay makes 1000 Heroz one of the best app platformers I have ever played. If you think you can manage to withstand playing a game in short bursts, give 1000 Heroz a try. You might find you like it even better than a little piece of chocolate.

Megnut – Chocolate advent calendar adventures

Chocolate advent calendar adventures

Today is December 1st, and you know what that means? It's the first day of my chocolate advent calendar! I couldn't resist picking one up last week when I spied them at the market. And I was so excited to get started with it this morning. Having a chocolate advent calendar is one of my favorite childhood memories. We never got to have candy, so getting a small chocolate each day for nearly a month was almost better than Christmas itself. One year, we got calendars that had an extra-large chocolate for the 24th. Each day I carefully opened the cardboard door to reveal the small chocolate inside, and savored it with my breakfast.

Every day, I edged closer and closer to the big one, until the morning of the 24th. I sat at the table with my calendar in hand, and as I attempted to pry open the door, I realized it had already been opened. Someone had opened it and then closed it again. And then I looked in shock: No Chocolate! My giant chocolate I'd been waiting a month for was gone! And who was the culprit? My brother, who'd eaten his entire chocolate advent calendar in one sitting on December 1st and couldn't resist eating mine as well. Honestly, I remember this as one of the most crushing disappointments of my childhood. Probably because my brother not only didn't get in trouble for eating his calendar, but he didn't get punished for eating mine either! And I, the patient older child who played by the rules, was just out one giant Santa-shaped chocolate. My calendar this year doesn't have an over-sized chocolate for the 24th. Nevertheless, I will be hyper-vigilant, lest my husband attempt a similar, nefarious trick to crush my chocolate advent spirit!

December 1, 2006    Food    12 responses

I feel your pain.

When I was five, my dad and colleague ate my chocolate animals I had won for the best fancy dress ;( Mum only let us eat two chocs at a time and that the rest would be safe until the morning.

I think his colleague bought me a kids' sweet shop to make up for it.

But Dad never got punished and still steals choc to this day :)

- Lab Cat on December 1, 2006 @ 10AM

When I was a kid, we had an exchange student from Germany stay with us and his parents sent us the most charming advent calendar--a long garland with 25 small velvet bags tied to it, each containing a few chocolates and a small Christmas tree ornament. For years after that, my mom filled it up with new treats every December, and my sister and I were supposed to switch off days for opening. I must admit I take after your brother and snatched more than my fair share of the candy.

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