The whole point of the game is to swipe the flying basketballs into the hoop while swatting away bombs. There are numerous trick shots to pull off if you want to feel like a real baller and build up that high score, from Air Gordons to Alley Oops and Corkscrews. These tricks are revealed to you as you level up, but you’ll discover the majority of them on your own first. Chaining together multiple trick shots without missing any balls can lead to the backboard cracking or even shattering, which comes with massive score boosts.
There are several modes to test out your game in. Time Attack gives you ninety seconds to get the highest score possible, and here bombs only slow you down. Arcade mode is the most like classic Fruit Ninja, in that you can only miss up to three balls, bombs spell death, and extra balls can be gained with high enough scores. Sudden Death is just a version of Arcade mode that hates you, letting you miss only one ball.
The game features several mascots which act as power ups. The first mascot is given to you for free, and lets you gain big points for swatting bombs away once activated. The rest cost lots of crowns, the in-game currency. You only earn crowns for leveling up or for doing exceedingly well, and they can be used to buy mascots, new courts, and other cosmetic changes. My biggest problem with this game is the cost of everything. There is too much to buy at really high prices and not enough is given to you for just playing. The game also gets very repetitive after a while.
The art style in the game is fantastic, and everything is generally well done and polished. The game is iOS universal, supports Game Center and OpenFeint, and is completely free. The only downside is banner ads at the menu screens, though you can choose to buy out of ads with a three dollar in-app purchase. This game is a lot of fun, and everyone should check it out at the low price of free.
Download the free Appolicious iPhone app
