Parachute Ninja, an exciting 2D platformer from Freeverse, has recently hit the app store. Through its enjoyable control mechanics and its timing and finesse-based elements, Parachute Ninja is an addictive offering that’s difficult to put down.
Parachute Ninja Pros:
- Freeverse’s typical polished presentation
- Plus+ for online leaderboards and achievements
- Eastern-style soundtrack is a soothing complement
- Controls are simple to use and very intuitive
Parachute Ninja Cons:
- Tilt function seems very sensitive
Parachute Ninja offers two game modes, Story and Survival. Story contains 30 levels of game play, interspersed with short, picture-based clips of a generic revenge story line whose bearing on the actual game play is a bit murky. Levels consist of a series of elastic rubbery platforms upon which our hero, a ninja who is little more than a round head, comes to rest. Dragging down and to the left or right readies the slingshot action, and releasing your finger propels the ninja head upward. Pressing your finger on the screen releases the ninja’s parachute, allowing you to use the accelerometer to control the angle of his descent. The goal is to safely traverse the level, collecting glowing fireflies and avoiding the plethora of increasingly more difficult-to-avoid obstacles strewn about. Thankfully, checkpoints are sprinkled along the way. Touching obstacles reduces your point total and splashing into the water below sends you back to the most recent checkpoint. There is no timer and, therefore, no rush to move through the game. There are also no lives to speak of. You continue to replay the level until you successfully reach the end. Upon completion of each level, you are rated on a scale of 1 to 3 leaves, it would appear. Subsequent levels are locked until you complete the prior level, and completed levels can be returned to in order to improve upon your previous attempt.
Survival mode tasks you with climbing as high as you can before ending up in the rising tide. Trying to memorize the position of game elements is a waste of time, as this mode consists of randomly generated platforms and obstacles, so it’s never the same twice. Parachute Ninja utilizes Plus+ for online leaderboards and achievements, offering a fun challenge and increasing replay value greatly. Our only gripe is that the tilt function seems very sensitive, with minor movements causing sweeping, exaggerated changes in motion. The slightest of movements is enough to adjust your direction, though learning precise control is pretty tricky.
Graphically, the game has Freeverse’s typical polish, using large objects, appealing color schemes, and a clean interface. The action is smooth and the physics are pretty decent. The soundtrack consists of Eastern-based music, fitting for a ninja game and a soothing complement to the relaxing pace of the game. Sound effects, such as gongs for the checkpoints, are also in keeping with the game’s theme, adding character and charm. Controls, as mentioned, are simple to use and very intuitive. There’s something about dragging your finger and firing objects that seems so natural on the iDevice. We had no issues with the controls once we got a feel for how much power was needed to move the ninja from platform to platform.
For the introductory price of $0.99, you cannot go wrong with Parachute Ninja. Freeverse’s newest release is a 5-Dimple star.
