The new app “aa” has taken New Trier’s halls by storm. Although “aa” first made its appearance in the App Store on August 11, 2014, it has gained popularity among the NT student body within the last month.
The basic idea of the app is to shoot long pins into a rotating ball without the pins hitting each other.
The app’s developer, General Adaptive Apps Pty Ltd, describes it as a fun and addictive game without too many flashy features. “From level one, it’ll be clear that the ethos whereby a game should be entertaining, engaging, fun but sometimes tough at a stripped back level shines through without unnecessary theming or a needless story line,” says the website.
Students have responded both positively and negatively to the app’s “tough” side.
Sophomore Chloe Jacobs said “I’m not super obsessed with it but I’ve gotten a little too invested in some of the more difficult levels.” She also stated that one of her friends beat 100 levels in one day.
Users of the app have the potential to traverse 600 levels, some seemingly impossible. Some of the more difficult levels include the dreaded level 49 and also level 99. Jacobs is still stuck on 49. She downloaded the app when she noticed a lot of kids in her classes playing the game during class.
Senior Zack Vlahandreas started playing for different reasons. He started playing the app because his little sister kept pestering him to beat the levels for her.
He claims he’s “no pro” at the game because he’s only at level 32, but he’s still a strong supporter of the game because “everyone needs something to do while standing in the hallway awkwardly with no one to talk to other than swiping left and right or pretending to text someone.”
Vlahandreas also stated “The game is more of an antisocial game that he uses when he doesn’t want to talk to people, more of a Monday morning game.”
Junior Sophie King is currently at level 218, an impressive feat. She began playing not unlike many other students by seeing her friends play it. 218 levels later, she said “honestly, the game is just to amuse myself and see how far I can get, it’s just a fun game.”
As one of the better players at New Trier, King is often recruited to beat some of the lower levels. Junior Ben Armour was stuck on level 6 until he was helped by a friend.
Some of the other apps that General Adaptive Apps Pty Ltd include “uu”, “ff” and “rr”, all with similar concepts to “aa”, but with a different or interesting spin on the game.
Despite the fact that there are so many similar games, something about the simplicity of “aa” attracts people.
Junior Emma Hermanson describes her feelings toward the game as a love/hate relationship. “Whenever I lose with one or two [pins] to go I always get so mad, but somehow I still find myself playing it during Physics class all the time,” said Hermanson.
As the app gets older and older, and more people become stuck on levels, people begin to get frustrated with the game and stop playing. If this trend continues, only a select few people will continue to play “aa” as the novelty wears off on others.