Norris makes a special delivery of justice in New York.

According to iPhone game, Chuck Norris: Bring On the Pain, "Death once had a near-Chuck Norris experience." Developer, Ludigames has turned the Internet-fed Chuck Norris legend of badassery into a pulpy action game. And in spite of controls that would frustrate the Texas Ranger himself, Bring On the Pain supplies humor and a guilty pleasure that almost rise above its novelty.

The game's ridiculous story sends waves of Communists to meet their "retirement" after colliding with your furious fists. North Korean, Russian, and Cuban warriors--along with their leaders--fight Norris in various settings around the world. On-screen text and snippets in-between fights help present the story, which occasionally had us laughing and always caused eye-rolling. The Chuck Norris legend is more powerful than rationality, mixing motorcycle stunts, super-human strength, and time-travel.

Norris takes a moment to philosophize in the middle of battle.

You navigate Norris with an on-screen joystick, a button for jumping, and a button to attack. We always had trouble moving precisely; the clunky controls often sent him stumbling over landmines and other hazards. Shooting levels--which unfortunately open the game--are the worst. The gun is hard to aim, and you can't walk and fire together.

But the moments where Norris knuckles-through redeem the game. Kicks, throws, and punches never felt precise, but they're much more fun than the gunplay. Norris can also attack with ambient objects: hay bales, telephone booths, and even pickup trucks. An upgrade system lets you activate special attacks with certain button combinations, but most of them felt hard to initiate. We mostly just kept tapping to attack.

Humor propels Chuck Norris even further than his fists. In spite of many frustrating areas where we felt like giving up, we persevered to see the next over-the-top moment.

Chuck Norris: Bring On the Pain
COMPANY: Gameloft
CONTACT: www.gameloft.com
PRICE: $.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone or iPod touch with OS 2.2.1 or later.
The Chuck Norris legend is pulpy and playable. Tilt- and tap-controlled moments add variety to the game. Camera option lets you paste a real-world boss's head on in-game goons.
Game controls lack precision and often frustrate. Fistfights are far more fun than gunplay. Some on-screen text vanishes too quickly. Your thumbs sometimes obscure important moments.