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Fruit Ninja (iPhone Application)
by marymoose ---Intro--- I don't seem to have had as much time for review writing sites lately...partly due to having a new job, partly due to being in the process of getting a new kitchen, and partly because I am spending most of my spare time playing this stupidly addictive Fruit Ninja game! I was slightly disappointed when I got ... my Nokia Lumia 920 that there were no full free games included on it. However, there were a number of free samples to test. Although I decided quite quickly that I wasn't going to get into 'Angry Birds' I very quickly became hooked on Fruit Ninja, and ended up paying the 79p (which was simply added to my phone bill) for the full game. Although this is listed as an iPhone application on dooyoo, this game is available as an app on other phones. I'm playing through Xbox Live on Windows Phone. The game is made by "Halfbrick". ---The gist of the game--- Basically, different fruits sort of bounce onto the screen from the bottom (apples, oranges, watermelons to name a few), and you use your finger (which is meant to be a blade) to swipe through them, thus slicing the fruit in half. You receive 1 point for each piece of fruit, but bonus (Combo) points if you slice through 3 or more at once. With each swipe there is a satisfying splat of the fruit on the background wall, and accompanying noise. The background music and noises (Ninja type!) I can take or leave, depending on whether or not I want to disturb my boyfriend. Sometimes silent is best! The graphics I think are impressive, you can easily tell what the fruits are. It is a simple idea for a game, but I find that the simplest games can be the most addictive....and I have lost hours playing "just one more game"! There are three game modes which I will talk through briefly now! ---Classic Mode--- Classic Mode is the only version available on the free test game. In Classic mode you must swipe every fruit. If you miss one you lose a life (of which you have three), although you will get back one lost life when you hit 100 points. However, it's not so simple as the fruits come at varying speeds (which gets harder as the game goes on) and when there's a lot at once it can be easy to miss one, especially the strawberries which are small. Then there's the bombs - accidentally swipe through a bomb and your game is over immediately. Along with normal points for getting the fruits, there are occasionally bonus exotic fruits which score 50 points, and there are also times that you get extra 10 points for it being 'Critical' whatever that means. ---Zen Mode--- "No Bombs! No Lives! 90 secs!" This sounds good, but it's probably my least favourite mode as with no other ways to get points (like the bonuses in Arcade Mode), you really have to make an effort to swipe lots of fruits in one go (i.e. wait until they're lined up, which has the potential for losing them if you're not careful). ---Arcade Mode--- This is my favourite mode as there's more potential for bonus points. In addition to the normal fruits, there are special different coloured bananas which come onto the screen from either a side or the top or bottom. Try and get these, one of them doubles points for a certain period, one makes the fruits move slower making it easier to swipe more in one go, and the other is a frenzy where loads of fruits come at once! There are bombs on this mode, but they mean that you lose 10 points each time you hit one, rather than the game ending. There is a certain unpredictability in this mode as at the end you get three bonus amounts, which range from 5 to 50 (I think), and often the higher points seem to be for doing things like hitting no bananas, or hitting lots of bombs. ---Other--- My main reason for parting with my 79p was that as I played the game I kept unlocking things which it said I'd need the full game to see. In the "Sensei Swag" area you can change your blade (such as one which changes the colour on each swipe), and the background depending on which you have unlocked. Personally I don't feel this adds a great deal to the game. However, I am glad that I bought the game, as it's great having three different modes to choose to play. Other things of note are the fruit facts which appear on the screen after games, such as bananas being high in vitamin B and that passion fruit is sweetest when slightly wrinkled. I think this is a nice touch, although there could be a few more different ones. There are leaderboards, and you can share scores online if you so desire. But this hasn't particularly appealed to me. The only thing I really don't like about the game is that it is really easy to accidentally exit the game. I'm not even sure what it is that I'm doing that does it, but it's generally when I'm madly swiping. It's not a major problem as when you go back into the game (which does incur a delay) it is all still there and paused. However, I find it a bit frustrating at times! ---Finally--- I can see myself continuing to play "Fruit Ninja" for a good long while. It is very satisfying beating my high scores, and having the three different modes means I have three to improve on. It's not the best game in the world, and I do get irritated when I accidentally exist out of it mid gameplay. However, for me it was definitely 79p well spent. Obviously though it's worth playing it free first to see if it's for you! Read the complete review |
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Witch Wars: Puzzle
by Dentolux With the NRA blaming video games for inspiring a recent surge of mass shootings (yes blame anything, but how easy it is to procure firearms) you'd think that digital entertainment is dominated by violent titles. Yes out of touch game critics, let us just disregard the fact that most games carry an age rating of seven or under because it ... disproves your point. Granted, Call of Duty sells gangbusters, but so do a number of sport, education, racing and puzzle games. In fact nothing beats a good puzzler. Just looking at the sale figures of the Professor Layton series or how Gameboy owners became enamored with Tetris should illustrate my point. Another puzzle game that is all the rage these days is Bejeweled. Like is often the case, when something gets popular, you can bet your bottom dollar that developers will emulate it to cash in on the genre's success. One example of a Bejeweled clone is Witch Wars, a free puzzler by Com2us available on Apple and Android mobile devices. The twist on the Bejeweled format is that instead of playing to get the best score possible, Witch Wars uses the popular Bejeweled mechanics to pit players in competitive matches, against either AI or fellow human opponents via online matchmaking. If you have played the aforementioned Bejeweled, or one of its pretenders, you should have no trouble diving into Witch Wars. When a match kicks off you are presented with a 6x6 grid filled with various items. The object of the game is to form lines of three or more items, of the same type, by swapping the position of two connecting items. Doing so will make the line disappear causing any objects stacked above them to cascade down, with empty grids getting occupied by a new set of randomly generated items. Okay the mechanics aren't easy to describe, but trust me it isn't hard to understand once you start playing. Witch Wars is one of those games that is easy to learn although hard to master. If all else fails just hit the concise in-game help section, which does a good job of describing the rules with the aid of some illustrations. To win a match you simply have to reduce your rival's health bar to zero. Triggering a chain of swords allows you to directly damage your opponent and it is also possible to cast offensive spells by arranging rows of spell books. Unlike the swords, that attack instantly, the magic system can be activated when you desire. Every time spell books are removed from the grid your mana bar fills up. Depending on how much mana you have saved up you can cast one of three spells. You may perhaps opt to irritate foes with a series of weak spells, or horde up your power to unleash one huge devastating attack. Aside from swords and spell books there are three other items to activate. These are not offensive, but offer benefits all the same. The first are magic potions that can be consumed to recover lost health. There are also handcuffs that temporarily freeze icons on the opponent's field, preventing them from being swapped around for a few seconds. The handcuffs should not be confused with the furry variety that can be spotted in the erotic section of this site. Lastly there are coins that get added to your bank account and can be spent at the main menu to purchase upgrades and other unlockables. In case you are wondering, Witch Wars gets its name from its cast of characters. There are seven playable witches to choose from, although when you first start the game only the purple haired Athena is available to use. To acquire the services of the other gals you will have to spend the coins earned during matches. What differentiates each witch is the unique range of spells they can cast. Silpheed, who dresses up like a leprechaun, for example can poison opponents whilst the vampire-esque Morrigan has access to a power drain that sucks up health and uses it to replenish her own life bar at the same time. Aside from unlocking characters the coins can also be used to level up their abilities, so expect to play the game a lot to beef up how much damage your swords deal, the amount of health potions restore and so on. There's not a lot else to say about Witch Wars as it is one of those simple yet fun games. Maybe I'm enjoying it more than the average player as I never got into the Bejeweled craze and am only now discovering how addictive it is. That said, I think the game is worthy of five stars. It doesn't have any noticeable faults and is the type of game that can be enjoyed in quick bursts or for hours at a time. The gameplay is ace, the cartoony visuals are a colorful treat and the upbeat music is catchy. I had a good time with the multiplayer mode and never got frustrated, even when I got my butt kicked by more experienced players. For a game I randomly stumbled upon, whilst browsing the apps store, I am impressed that it only takes a few seconds to find an opponent to play against, no matter what time of the day I decide to log in. I highly recommend Witch Wars to anyone who enjoys puzzlers. The gameplay is accessible to players of all ages and best of all it can be downloaded for free. In your face NRA. Who says you needs to blow away people in a game to have fun? Read the complete review |
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LostWinds
by SWSt It's fair to say that LostWinds has taken the iPhone/iPad world by storm. Whilst it might not have quite the same broad appeal as, say, Angry Birds, it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. A stunning, high quality game, it should really shows what iOS devices are capable of in the hands of a talented bunch of ... programmers. You play as young Toku, a young boy who holds the fate of his world in his hands (no pressure, then). When he discovers Enril, the Wind Spirit he must set off on a quest to save the land of Mistralis from the power of the evil Balasar. Using the powers given to him by Enril, he must harness the energy of the wind to complete his quest and defeat Balasar forever. LostWinds looks incredible and is easily the best looking iOS game I have come across. The graphics that would not look out of place on a full-priced, more powerful console - they are that good. They look impressive enough on an iPhone, but stick them on HD screen of the iPad and they look nothing less than stunning. The introductory cut-scenes achieved something few games manage these days - they genuinely made my jaw drop in astonishment at their quality. There is a cartoon-like vibrancy behind all of Lost Winds' graphics. Backgrounds are full of sumptuous colours that bring the landscape to life; characters are cartoon-like caricatures, without ever being silly and the main character is cute without being vomit- inducing. It's hard to talk about the graphics in Lost Winds without starting to sound like some rabid fanboy, but they really are that good. Sound is not too far behind, either. A stunning oriental theme plays throughout, perfectly suited to the game's look and feel. Like the graphics it's that rarest of things in a game: something so damn beautiful and haunting that it can evoke a genuinely emotional response in the player. The rushing noise made when you use the various wind abilities sounds realistic, as do the rustling of plants and trees. Whilst there is no dialogue in the game, characters utter cute little grunts and other noises that say far more than full voice acting ever could. Too often with good-looking games, it's a case of "nice graphics, shame about the gameplay", but LostWinds gets it right here, too. The game is a mix of platforming action combined with simple RPG elements. You must explore the various areas of your world, leaping from platform to platform (using your wind-based powers to reach certain areas), collect objects that might come in useful, meet and talk to the inhabitants of Mistralis and carry out tasks for them in order to progress. The fusion of platforming and RPG elements is excellent balanced, so the game will appeal to people who like either sort of game, without putting off those who are not keen on one or the other. I'm not a big RPG fan, for example (I don't have the patience), but here it adds an extra dimension to the game and stops Lost Winds from simply becoming another platformer. Every element of the game blends perfectly to make it a huge amount of fun, and it's clear that a lot of play testing has gone into getting everything just right. Save points, for example, are scattered liberally throughout the levels, but are not so numerous that the game becomes a walkover. By the same token, though, they are numerous enough so that if you die you don't end up constantly having to replay the same bits to get back to that point. The element which most often lets iOS games down is controls, the lack of a physical controller all too often forming a barrier. LostWinds is a welcome exception. The controls have clearly been developed from the ground up with the benefits and drawbacks of touchscreen in mind. As such, they work perfectly. To run, for example, you simply touch Toku and then touch the point you want him to run to; to carry on running, hold your finger on the far left/right of the screen and he will run in that direction until remove your finger. Using your special wind spirit powers is equally intuitive, involving swiping your finger across the screen; the more times you swipe, the more powerful the wind you will conjure up. The controls feel incredibly natural and are so intuitive that you scarcely have to be told what to do. Within minutes of playing the game for the first time, it will already feel like you have perfect control over your character. If there's one criticism, it probably surrounds the game's longevity. It's not a particularly large or difficult game and most gamers are going to reach the end of it without breaking a sweat. Yes, there are some hidden areas and objects to uncover, but even allowing for these, there's probably not much more the 10 hours or so of gameplay in there. Still, the game is so beautiful and so much fun that you won't really care. Yes, you'll feel a small pang of sadness when you reach the end, but you'll also feel a burst of joy that you have been privileged to play such a fantastic game. And at least you can console yourself with the fact that LostWinds 2 is now available! The game is available for iPhone/iPad for just £2.49, which I'd normally suggest was a touch on the expensive side. For LostWinds, though I'm prepared to make the exception. Even allowing for the relative shortness of the game, it's a title which I can recommend wholeheartedly. When you consider some of the dross that gets a full priced release, it's a real pleasure to see a smaller game that takes such care over presentation and matches it with some superb gameplay. Quite simply, if you own an Apple device, you owe it to yourself and the developers to buy this game and show there is still a market for high quality, original games. Being the jaded old gamer that I am it takes a lot to impress me these days. LostWinds is one of those truly special games that will make you fall in love with gaming all over again. So much care has been taken over almost every aspect of the game's design that it's hard to find fault with it. No game is perfect, but LostWinds is about as close as you can get. (Note: LostWinds is also available to download for the Wii for 1000 points) (c) Copyright SWSt 2013 Read the complete review |
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