You play as a scientist trapped inside of an experiment, running and jumping from platform to platform, with the slightest misstep resulting in annhilation. Like that game, Boson X is both endless and not really endless. That’s not to say that the game ignores its contemporaries entirely, because there is a healthy splash of Super Hexagon ($2.99) on the canvass here as well. Momentum and lightning fast reflexes are the key to survival.

There is your character, the path ahead of him, and precious little in the way of mercy. There are no coins to pick up here, nor can you collect power-ups or count on upgrades to make your character stronger. I’m talking about all of this because in many ways, Boson X ($2.99) seems to have discarded almost all the frills and gimmicks developed in the last four years of evolution, going back to the core of what made Canabalt such a great game.

Still, as we felt when we recently took a look back at Canabalt, there’s something about the game’s minimalism and tight mechanics that allow it to continue to stand out among the razzle and dazzle of its successors. Perspective changes, missions, power-ups, level-ups, currency, vehicles, mini-games, character customization, and more have been added to the genre, resulting in amazing games like Temple Run (Free), Punch Quest (Free), and Jetpack Joyride (Free).

The genre has certainly built quite a bit on top of the framework set by its originator, as well. Has it really only been four years? Four years since Canabalt ($2.99) burst onto the scene and arguably created and inarguably popularized a genre? Looking around the App Store today, it’s hard to remember a time before endless runners, let alone the idea that it’s all happened in less time than it took to make a fourth Spider-Man movie.

Boson x rip off