Slingshot Cowboy Plus for iPhone

Slingshot Cowboy Plus by Digital Prunes is a simple casual game with cute cartoon graphics and fun sound effects. The only skill to master is your slingshot. By pulling back on your slingshot, you can launch rocks at grazing cows. Three direct hits and you knock them to the ground. Knock enough cows down and you’ll advance to the next round. There are seven locations with bonus rounds in between, but the gameplay remains the same throughout.

Aiming the slingshot is pretty tricky and requires a lot of practice to master. Use your finger to pull back on the rock to adjust the force of the shot, and refine your aim by pulling to the left or right. With the longer shots, you will also have to tilt the iPhone back and forth to get additional range. Thankfully, there is a selectable laser mode which shows you the precise trajectory of your shots before you take them.

Besides great graphics, music, and sound effects, there are a few other nice touches to the game. Hitting a gopher gives you power-ups like point multipliers and grenades for more expedient cow tipping. There is a timed game mode for some variety, and to see how you compare with other slingshot cowboys—there is a global scoreboard. While unobtrusive, in-game advertisements might be a turn-off for some, there is a $2 ad-free version of Slingshot Cowboy Plus available as well.

All in all, Slingshot Cowboy is a fun (if light) diversion. You might grow tired of the repetitious gameplay, especially if you can’t master the challenging controls. But if you’re up for a challenge and fancy yourself a slingshot cowboy, saddle up.

[James Savage is the host of the RetroMacCast, a weekly podcast devoted to older Macintosh computers. Despite growing up in rural Indiana, he never went cow tipping.]