I grew up watching reruns of the Smurf cartoon- I didn’t know it was a rerun at the time though.  It was a fun show, one that fit in perfectly with early 80’s style.  There were moral dilemmas, challenges and educational bits but they were masked quite well- just right for young developing minds to absorb.  Much like other cartoons that aired during this era the Smurfs found their home with many a young set of eyeballs.  This created a lifelong connection and now most of those fans are entering midlife and probably enjoying seeing a childhood friend return.  In Smurfs Epic Run you won’t get a storyline torn from the cartoon but the style and familiar faces are all there, for a price.

Smurfs Epic Run is a free to play running game.  It is not an endless runner since there are definite ends to the levels and a world map to travel.  This makes Smurfs Epic Run feel more like a Super Mario title if you are playing one of the auto scrolling levels from part 3 on the Nintendo Entertainment System.  There are In App Purchases though so be wary of just letting any little gamers run wild with this title.

The animation is great here, Ubi Soft have paid attention to the license and expanded on it well.  Gargamel has cast an evil fog that is engulfing the forest, Smurf Village and every Smurf in it.  Only you are left with the task of rescuing the other Smurfs that have been captured.  Simple story, something that Gargamel could never accomplish in the cartoon- maybe his magic power has grown in the last 50+ years?

The controls are pretty simple.  Just tap the screen to jump.  You are not in control of the speed of your Smurf so it is about as simple as you can get for controls.  Some Smurfs have powers such as double jump, gliding, dashing etc so unlocking them is key.  Some of the more iconic ones such as Papa Smurf and Smurfette are going to cost you either real world money or plenty of effort on your part to earn the gems.

Each level costs energy to play.  Early on this is a problem as you only have a bit and each level takes a good quarter of your total.  You can earn more energy by watching ads or buying them.  We have a rule here at Gravis Ludus that we will not review titles based on the use of IAP so I have only used the “view ads” redemption.  The ads are short, usually 15 seconds, so they are not all that hard to tolerate.  Energy also replenishes over time so you have the option to wait.

The most interesting thing I have found about Smurfs Epic Run is that the levels change.  One play through may require you to save four Smurfs.  Say you save only two of them and replay the level.  Now that level is almost completely different- different obstacles, different paths, different placement of Smurfs, etc.  That really helps the replay value, and it keeps you from just memorizing the levels and plowing through them with ease.

Smurfs Epic Run by Ubi Soft
Platform: Android (version reviewed) and iOS
Genre: Running game
Rated: Everyone on Google Play and 4+ on the iTunes App Store
More pics available on Redgage.com
Available now on and the iTunes App Store

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