Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots Review: The Juiciest Movie Tie-in Ever!

App Name:	Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots
Platforms:	iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch
Publisher(s):	Halfbrick
Version Reviewed:	1.0
Genre(s):	action
Release Date:	October 20, 2011

By now, fans of slashing produce may have thought they’d seen it all. There was the original Fruit Ninja, in which so many millions of players (myself included) became thoroughly addicted to the painfully simple idea of dicing fruit as it flies through the air while simultaneously avoiding those nasty bombs. From there, we slowly got new additions like arcade mode, multiplayer, and even spinoff action like Veggie Samurai… But the last piece of fruit has yet to be sliced, as Halfbrick has shown that there’s more life in the franchise. Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots is a movie tie-in that’s a ton of fun while being decidedly narrow in scope. If you want the complete Fruit Ninja experience, look elsewhere. But veterans looking for more will be pleased with the re-mastered content and variety found in this feline spin.

First things first: Don’t be scared away by the idea that this game might be meant for kids. Sure, it’s limited in features and sports a Spanish, green-eyed tabby cat dropping one-liners here and there, but Halfbrick is bringing you their best work, promotional bits aside. When it comes to the classic action that has kept us coming back for so long, nowhere is it done better than Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots . The developer says the Desperado (classic) mode has been “enhanced and re-mastered,” and there’s no question that the experience is the smoothest, fastest fruit-slicing available.

But let’s face it, those who already have Fruit Ninja residing on their device are looking for new content, and Puss in Boots delivers that with the Bandito mode… Arcade mode and multiplayer definitely changed the game back when they were introduced, but Bandito mode is the biggest variation available on the fruit-slicing formula. Jump in and you’ll be met with a “gauntlet of challenges” that unfold in four acts. Each act unfolds in four challenges, and you’re given a total of three “lives” to get all the way through the finale. The challenges themselves will test your reflexes and speed by introducing a host of obstacles and new fruit physics. The variety of the challenges is impressive and keeps things massively entertaining, and the scoring system is such that your overall score will vary greatly depending on your skill.

Along with all-new gameplay, slicers who put in the effort will be rewarded by an ever-expanding Stash, where new blades/background are kept and can be selected at any time. The Stash proved to be a perfect angle for Halfbrick to work the tie-ins, with elements like the Cat Claw and the San Ricardo background hearkening to the Spanish swashbuckling kitty theme.

While everything present in this tie-in is solid and worth your time, keep in mind that it’s intended as a companion piece to the original, meaning it’s not the game you’re looking for if you want the full package (multiplayer, arcade, etc.). Instead, Puss in Boots is perfect for the fruit-slicing connoisseur who can’t miss any wrinkle in the franchise. It’s also sure to please those with kids who might enjoy the fairytale mashup. For the low asking price of 99 cents, you’ll do well in extending your Puss in Boots experience beyond the theater and into the realm of Fruit Ninja.

Our Score: 4 Out of 5

About the Author

Devin Wieland

 

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