Fruit Ninja: Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 Review

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8

The first Xbox-enabled version of Fruit Ninja launched shortly afterward Windows Phone seven itself way back in Dec 2022. As the months rolled by, the iOS and Android versions received a number of updates while the Windows Phone game did not. Developer Halfbrick released a Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 version in 2022, and an Xbox Windows 8 version in 2022 – but still no update to the original Windows Phone game.

Things finally took a turn for the better this month when a Windows Phone 8-specific version of Fruit Ninja finally showed upwards to the party. The decrepit Windows Phone 7 version simultaneously got partially delisted from the Store, though Windows Phone 7 users tin can manifestly withal download it. The new Windows Telephone 8 Fruit Ninja is identical in features to the Windows 8 version, so we'll review them both and point out the improvements to the original game.

Slicing and dicing

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8
All screenshots from Windows Phone 8 version

Fruit Ninja's concept is so outgoing that even non-gamers can grasp it in seconds. An off-screen sensei throws fruit onto the screen, which the player ninja must quickly swipe into oblivion. The specific rules and challenges vary by mode, but your goal is always to slice as much fruit as yous tin in pursuit of loftier scores.

This is a elementary game – nigh to a fault. But a few extra mechanics practise add some spice to the slicing. Players volition randomly perform critical hits as they slash fruit to pieces, gaining ten extra points for the assail. Hit 3 or more than fruits in a single fast and continuous swipe to get a combo bonus. Wait also long to go for the combo and a fruit might fall off the screen, adding an chemical element of risk for score-minded players.

New to the mobile Windows Fruit Ninjasouth is the pomegranate, which also shows up in Fruit Ninja Kinect. When this fruit appears in Classic or Arcade mode, fourth dimension slows downwards and players can slash information technology multiple times. Subsequently a few seconds, the pomegranate explodes and destroys whatever other fruit on screen. Pomegranates are a good score booster, but I could take or exit them.

Game modes

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8

After all this fourth dimension, Fruit Ninja however offers of the same three modes information technology had in 2022.

Archetype: The main game type and the only one with no fourth dimension limit. The game continues until the ninja either misses three fruits or hits a bomb. Man practice I hate those bombs.
Zen: This 90-2nd mode lacks the threat of bombs, but neither does information technology have special fruits or even critical hits. Zen is designed to exist laid back, simply that as well makes it the to the lowest degree exciting fashion to play.
Arcade: A 60-second mode with several unique items to its name. 3 special bananas: Fruit Frenzy, Freeze, and Double Points all provide benefits for a few seconds after you slice them, adding a fun helping of chaos to the game. Bombs however bear witness up here, just hitting one merely adds a score punishment instead of ending the game. A pomegranate e'er appears when the Arcade timer runs out.

Sensei's Swag: Blades and backgrounds

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8

With any version of Fruit Ninja, the metagame has always been to unlock as many blades (colorful swiping effects) and backgrounds as possible. Players can check the requirements for unlocking a particular item and equip whatever they accept unlocked from the Sensei'due south Swag bill of fare. Unlocking requirements tend to be for hit certain fruit milestones or completing games with specific scores.

The Windows Telephone 8 and Windows 8 versions of Fruit Ninja include a few backgrounds that weren't in the original version, such every bit 'Gutsu & Truffles' and 'King Dragon.' They offer a few new blades too. Withal, the 'Deject Kicker' and 'Sakura Slicer' blades and the 'Cloudy Skies' and 'Crimson Flower' backgrounds from the iOS version did not brand the cut. They were added to iOS in December 2022, so there is no excuse for their omission here.

Ownership boosts

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8

These versions feature In-App Purchases in the form of Gutsu's Cart. Gutsu, a new graphic symbol sells three power-ups in various quantities:

Bomb Deflects: A deflect nullifies i bomb strike, allowing players to survive longer in Classic Mode or Go a higher score in Arcade. However many deflects y'all purchase, only three can be used in a unmarried game. These are by far the about useful item since they can potentially triple the length of a Classic game.
Berry Blasts: These cause strawberries to explode when hit, providing a score bonus. They bear on all three modes.
Peachy Times: Striking a peach in Arcade and Zen modes volition add extra fourth dimension to the game.

You'll use Starfruit every bit currency in Gutsu's store. Starfruit tin be bought with existent money, merely y'all besides earn some every fourth dimension you play. Considering Fruit Ninja doesn't have whatsoever unlocks associated with loftier scores, I doubt many players will feel the need to spend existent coin on boosts.

The loneliest number

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8

These versions' missing blades and backgrounds sting a bit, particularly given how easy information technology would exist for Halfbrick to add them. But the absent characteristic that hurts the most is undoubtedly Online Versus mode.

iOS has had the 2-player Online mode since September 2022. Why wouldn't the Windows viii game, released in June 2022 and this year'southward Windows Phone 8 version include multiplayer also? Well, nosotros do know that Microsoft has all the same to provide online multiplayer tools for either Windows Phone or Windows 8 Xbox games. If developers want to add together online features, they must produce the multiplayer lawmaking entirely on their ain. Gameloft is pretty much the but programmer to regularly do and then.

Microsoft should get over its aversion towards existent-time online multiplayer on Windows Telephone 8 and Windows 8 and start providing developers all the support they need in order to include those features in their games.

Achievements

Fruit Ninja for Windows Phone 8

Fruit Ninja has ever been an easy game for Achievement completionists, and the Windows Phone eight and Windows 8 versions are no different. Arcade and Zen each have a single Accomplishment, with the rest specific to Archetype or cumulative beyond all modes.

The 2 that volition take the longest are 'Year of the Dragon' and 'Fruit Anything.' The showtime requires players to slice the very rare Dragonfruit in Archetype way. Its advent is random, so you'll just need to keep playing until you become lucky and run into ane. As for 'Fruit Anything,' information technology's the usual x,000-fruit Achievement and will accept a couple of hours to get. See Arsenic17's Achievement guide for more details.

Annotation that the Windows Telephone 8 version and Windows eight version each have their ain Achievements listing, separate from every other version. You can beat these ii versions for a total of 400 GamerScore. That'south on meridian of the 200 GamerScore the Windows Phone 7 version provided, not to mention the XBLA game's 350 GamerScore.

Overall Impression

The Windows Telephone 8 and Windows eight Fruit Ninja games are slightly disappointing due to their missing features. Fruit Ninja does non exactly overflow with content, so more unlockables and online multiplayer would have significantly improved these games. The Windows 8 version suffers some crashing issues and doesn't seem to play nicely with the Windows eight.1 preview either.

Yet, at least Windows Phone viii users now have a better Fruit Ninja to play. Fruit Ninja is the quintessential casual mobile game. It'southward meant to be played for minutes at a time and offers little in the way of long term goals or complexity. That's what many gamers want from a phone or tablet game. Even if you lot're looking for more serious and lengthy gaming titles, the depression price and easy GamerScore make Fruit Ninja worth a look.

Fruit Ninja – Windows Phone 8 – 26 MB – $.99 – Shop Link
Fruit Ninja – Windows viii and RT – 81 MB – $ane.99 – Store Link

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