NinJump Review

By , on August 12, 2010


NinJump™
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Quick vertical climbing gameplay.
  • Unique power-up system.
  • Enemies gain new traits as you climb.

CONS

  • Advertisements... oh those advertisements D:<~

VERDICT

If you don't mind the banner at the top of the screen, NinJump is a decent vertical climber with a few interesting twists and when it's for free it's hard to really complain.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

Much like the recent Tunnel Shoot, NinJump is a surprising change of pace for the developer Backflip Studios and a welcome addition to the endless vertical jumping titles on the App Store. 

Instead of the usual passive jumping your ninja will run flat-out up the walls, switching sides with a simple tap. In this way the game feels much like a horizontal runner, however your ninja isn't without some unique tricks and if you time your jumps you can dispatch enemies as you flail your sword in the air. If you're lucky enough to string three kills of the same type you'll earn a jump bonus, rocketing you up while taking out enemies in a flashy show of ninja prowess.

NinJump sticks to a fairly generic Asiatic style throughout the game, though the addition of ninja squirrels and birds is a cute touch. It's also great to see small touches like the enemies becoming increasingly aggressive as you climb higher up, requiring players to progressively sharpen their skills to reach new records.

All of these small changes along with the free entry fee make NinJump feel like a bit  like an experiment, testing the waters to see whether the ideas stick. As it is it would have been nice if NinJump pushed things a little further, making the best use of their remaining free titles to stand out from the crowd, but at this price it's hard to complain and there's no reason no to give NinJump a try.

Screenshots

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