The iTunes App Store is overflowing with "retro" offerings and apps that attempt to deliver the thrills and excitement of your favorite games from decades past. But while most of these games are content to just offer chunky pixelated graphics and call it a day, Kame Retro does them all one better by replicating not just the lo-fi look of older video games, but by capturing something much more elusive: Their feel.

From the second you load up Kami Retro, the game's overriding aesthetic is visible, as the title has the aforementioned chunky graphics in spades. But the latest release from developers GAMEVIL manages to give users to look of retro games without being slavish to their less incredible aspects. Kami Retro may share some elements with throwback games, but the visuals and graphics make amazing use of the iPhone, with graphics so crisp and bright, they can verge on eye-searing if played in a dark room.

As great as Kami Retro's graphics and 8-bit tunes are, however, they are only window dressing on the game's core experience. Like the best games, Kami Retro starts with a simple objective: Get your Kamis (the game's eponymous heroes) from the green door to the red door while losing as few as possible. Like a cross between Lemmings and Super Mario Bros., each level gives you four Kamis that you must direct through various platformer levels.

Controls are simple and intuitive. To make the Kamis jump, just swipe diagonally upward in the direction you want them to jump in. If you want them to turn around, simply swipe horizontally in the opposite direction. While the controls are extremely easy to grasp, one of the game's only problems stems from them. The size of the graphics in Kami Retro never pose a serious problem in telling what is going on, but it is far too easy to make a Kami jump when you simply want them to change direction.

But while controls that were less sensitive to slightly inclined swipes would have been appreciated, the existing controls do little to hinder gamer enjoyment, while making excellent use of the iPhone's touchscreen. Touchscreen controls are also an integral part of what makes Kami Retro a truly great game.

The first few levels of Kami Retro require Kamis to jump and change direction, but little more than that. Luckily, the game quickly picks up, however, with the steady introduction of increasingly complex props and devices. Prior to the Kamis leaping out of the green door and marching to oblivion, users can move and position these items, building an interactive Rube Goldberg machine that will get your units where they need to go.

This is the best part of Kami Retro and what makes it a truly great game. While the props start out simple, like a trampoline, they quickly become more complicated, including high-powered fans, and switches that must be pressed to clear certain obstacles. Kami Retro does a fantastic job of drawing maximum use out of each prop before introducing a new one, at which point gamers must master all-new gameplay strategies.

Kami Retro succeeds because it takes some of the best elements of both platformers and physics games, requiring users to think on their feet. The game even allows players to reposition props while the Kamis are on the move, which can result in downright frantic gameplay.

Like most puzzle games, Kami Retro is less about getting through without losing lives, and more about just getting through. At any time, users can restart levels, and luckily all props and devices are left in place, meaning that you will never have to start over with the difficult task of finding the exact right position for a spring.

Kami Retro comes with five worlds, each with 12 stages and one bonus level. While that is not an overwhelming amount of content, especially since some stages are so simple, many are both difficult and fun enough to warrant replaying in an effort to get all three-star ratings.

The only complaints we have for Kami Retro is that we want more: More levels, more props, more Kamis marching to their doom. Hopefully, GAMEVIL will make our wish come true with additional content in the future, but in the meantime, Kami Retro is well worth its $1.99 price tag, as one of the best iPhone action/puzzle hybrids we have ever played.

Final Score: A