PixlBit

We need more games based around heartbeats, right? Of course! Enter Lub vs Dub, an endless runner (‘natch) where the two sounds of the heartbeat duke it out. Well, you know, in a running sort of way. There are two ways to play: Single Player Sprint and Two Player Battle. In the sprint your little character (Lub, I believe) runs along a heart monitor line. It’s pretty static but there are little spikes you must jump and large ones that can be avoided only by flipping over to the other side of the line. Along the way you can collect power ups to increase your score and hearts to multiply it at the end. It gets pretty hectic as the speed increases and you try to keep straight when to jump and when to flip. It’s a fun little runner.

What really makes it stand out, though, is the Two Player Battle. With the screen sideways, one player’s buttons are at the bottom and the other’s are at the top and you sit facing each other. It gets crazy fast as Lub and Dub run along the same line, trying to jump and flip at the right times and nab the hearts and power up. Hearts give you a little speed boost in this mode and power ups can put the hurt on your rival. It works surprisingly well, even on my little iPhone screen, and it was a hoot when my wife and I tried it.

Saying runners are a dime a dozen on the App Store is probably a disservice to the dime, but Lub vs Dub manages to stand out thanks to its unusual premise and cool two player mode. You should check it out, especially if you have someone to play it with.