Enviro-Bear 2010 (0)

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 it's surreal nature and purposefully difficult controls. The game is also available on the PC for free

Gameplay

In Enviro-Bear 2010, you play as 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, your 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.