Overview
Enviro-Bear 2010 (2000 on the PC) is an game by Justin Smith that bills itself as "the most realistic simulation of a bear driving a car on the iPhone." The game is a bit of a cult hit due to its surreal nature and purposefully difficult controls.
The game was originally a freeware game jam entry named Enviro-Bear 2000, before it saw the "2010" remake for mobile devices. This version of the game is available on the PC for free Here.
Gameplay
In Enviro-Bear 2010, the protagonist is a bear, driving a car, with only five minutes left until winter arrives. The goal is to eat fish and fatten up in that time, then drive to the nearest cave to hibernate. Being a bear, any mastery of a motor vehicle is lacking, so the player can only use one paw to control everything. This includes steering, acceleration, eating fish that fall into the car, throwing objects out of the sunroof, and fending off angry badgers, among other things. Once enough fish have been consumed and the bear is sufficiently fat, the player can drive to the nearest cave to hibernate.
The player must also be careful not to run into trees, boulders, or other bears driving cars.
Graphics and Design
Game designer Justin Smith initially built the game for a TIGsource competition, and it originally featured a squirrel. But squirrels proved difficult to program and he "ran outta time," so Smith "just threw the bear in." The game's deliberately lo-fi graphics were drawn in MS Paint, which Smith called "actually pretty painstaking." Smith also describes the difficult control scheme as intentional, preferring difficult controls in place of difficult levels.
Music
Enviro-Bear 2010's upbeat musical score was composed by Roberto Ricioppo.
Reception
Despite polarized reviews on iTunes among customers, the game has become a cult hit on the iPhone, and was featured on an episode of Attack of the Show! in 2009.
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