Freeverse has created many successful, high quality games for the iPhone and iPod Touch and Parachute Ninja is no exception. It’s a fun and addicting platformer that puts you in control of a small, round ninja with some limited capabilities. Your ninja has no arms or legs, so to get him to travel throughout the levels you’ll need to pull on the elastic strings in order to fling him into the air. There are a ton of obstacles you’ll need to navigate around in order to complete each level, and believe it or not, there is actually a solid story to follow as you play.
It really seems like a silly concept; a little ball that looks like a ninja with no arms or legs. But, the game is actually quite fun to play. The only way to move your ninja around is to launch him into the air by pulling back on and releasing these elastic bands that he rests on. When you pull back on the elastic band you can also change his trajectory to try and make him land exactly where you want him to land. The harder you pull back, the higher and farther the ninja will fly. To help you out, you can tap on the screen after launch to release a parachute that allows the ninja to float gently down. While the parachute is deployed, you can still control your descent by tilting your device left or right. The parachute and tilt controls really work well and are sensitive enough to precisely navigate through obstacles.
While flinging your ninja around each level and attempting to dodge obstacles, you’ll also be trying to collect as many fireflies as you can. These fireflies will decide whether or not you’ve passed each level. There are also score multipliers if you collect multiple fireflies in a row without hitting obstacles. Colliding with obstacles or enemies will also cause you to lose a certain amount of fireflies. Your fireflies are really all you can lose during the game. There are no health meters or lives to lose. If you fall into the water below, you’ll either start back at the beginning of the level or at a checkpoint.
Parachute ninja is definitely a casual gamer’s game. It’s easy to pick up and play, there are no lives to lose and while the game is challenging, it really isn’t going to frustrate the average user. The graphics are beautiful, the animations are fluid and the music and sound are done well. Simply stated, this game is very well made. It is clear that the developer has taken the time to create a quality title that is both fun and addicting. If you’re still unsure, check out the free version.
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