Rolando: Reason Enough to get an iPod Touch?

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B21dywk4oAc]

The promise of gaming on the multi-touch, accelerometed iPod Touch and iPhone just got a lot more substantial with Rolando from ngmoco:) (seriously, their corporate identity uses the smiley).

Taking the art style and gameplay of LocoRoco and mixing it with DS-like controls, Rolando is the first game I’ve seen that looks to be capable only on the latest Apple gadgets. Tilting the device gets the rotund family moving while certain elements require a fast finger to create bridges, activate fans, maneuver platforms and more. The LocoRoco inspiration is a little heavy but there’s real innovation here and it makes me wonder how long I can hold out on buying an iPod Touch.

Rolando is due out before the end of the year but Ngmoco:) has two other games now available on the App Store. Finger Maze plays a lot like Namco’s Flamin’ Finger from the arcades and Topple reminds me a lot of Tsumiki: The Infernal Tower on the DS. Check out their site for much more on all three games.