Ah, the arena platformer. Truly, it has been one of the best genres to take prominence in mobile gaming. A big reason is because the combination of a small enough arena to fit on one screen, with simple controls, and endlessly-repetitive high score chasing, is a package that's almost the platonic ideal for a mobile game. We've seen it through countless fun games, with one of the more prominent examples being Super Crate Box [$1.99] from Vlambeer. However, with Vlambeer seemingly not updating the app for 64-bit appocalypse, that means that not only can a great arena platformer shine, but it could possibly take the crown. Penarium [$1.99], much like Super Crate Box, started on PC before moving to iOS. In this case, Team 17 published the game, developed by Self Made Miracle, and helped to bring the late 2015 release to iOS a while later. And it's quite a welcome title on iOS, while perhaps not as tight as some of the finest entries in the arena platformer genre.
You play as Willy, who has been trapped by an evil circus master. He's a bit of a fat kid, his shirt's a bit too small, and he's constantly being made to go through danger for strangers' amusement. Basically, this is my life story, and I will be contacting my lawyer when I am done with this review. Thankfully, Willy has surprising athleticism for a big man, and he can find a way to survive. Mostly, this involves collecting barrels while dodging buzzsaws, ice spikes, lasers, and swarms of bees. OSHA is going to have so...