Christmas stuff gets a little leeway when it comes to quality; just think about how many crummy Christmas television specials we get excited about. Rocket Santa is a little late to the Christmas party, though, so it loses the Christmas veneer and is revealed to be what it actually is: boring and unremarkable.

The reindeer fall ill, forcing Santa to strap on a jetpack and deliver the presents solo. Tilting the iPhone or iPod Touch left and right steers Santa, while touch buttons fire his thrusters and drop presents into sparkling chimneys. The game is technically sound, and the visuals are nice (aside from too much repetition and one terrifying elf), but the game gets old really quick. Plus, the challenge is almost nonexistent, with little replay value; you’ll figure out how to do a perfect game your third time through.

Now comes my ax to grind. I’ve played too many iPhone games that had little to no music or sound design, and Rocket Santa is no exception. The title has no music and sound effects that would make a Commodore 64 sound like the London Symphony Orchestra. An iPod is designed to be capable of producing excellent sound quality. Not incorporating that feature into game design is inexcusable.

Rocket Santa only costs a buck, and it might have been worth it at Christmas as a festive diversion. More replay value would help too. If you’re jonesing for a Santa Claus game for iPhone, play A Christmas Santa instead.

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