Nardio Review

Is it worth your time?

YES

 

What should I play it on?

Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is available on the iPad, iPod touch and the iPhone iOS 4.3 and later. You get the same great experience with all devices. As always, I prefer gaming on my iPad 2.

 

What did you think without spoiling it?

Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is a Freemium game with a lot to offer.  It isn’t perfect, but it’s gameplay is addictively difficult enough to keep you coming back for more long after you finish the long and very, very tough story mode.  To help ensure you have plenty of replay XperimentalZ Games has added several endless modes into Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword, tons of upgrades, and character outfits to buy with in-game currency. For a free game you are getting an insane amount of content and value.

I recommend getting the coin doubler for $1.99.

 

How does it play?

The controls are spot on.  The pacing of the game is, for the most part, great.  The art is really simple but fun.  I really do love the hand drawn look.  The boss fights do require some trial and error, but they are never cheap.  The upgrade system gives you a good feeling of progression.  The only downside to the upgrade system is that some of the upgrades cost a ton.  Even with the pricey coin doubler purchase expect to grind a bit to get the best stuff.

 

Why it works:

Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword is a fun, challenging/frustrating, and overall addictive running side-scrolling platformer packaged with several endless running levels.  On top of all that you have  unlockable content, upgrades, and costumes.  With all the content this offers I have no issues at all recommending that all of you pay in to have the coin doubler. Honestly you can beat the game without it, but if you’re going to try and max all of your powers you are going to need the help.  And with all the work XperimentalZ Games has put into this I think they deserve to get some of my money.

 

No like?

At times you will find the bad guys positioned in a way that you just can’t get passed without getting hurt  (I’m looking right at you Shield robot in front of the areas where I need to slide). Other random times bad guys don’t register hits.  Times like this make an already difficult game just feel cheap.

The camera is fixed on your character as you progress the level. This is a huge problem when you are making jumps from high up because they end up being blind jumps.  The best way to deal with this is to upgrade your special abilities so that you can try and control things on your way down. Also try not to run on the higher parts of the level.  This way you don’t have to worry about blind jumps as much.

Max upgrades are insanely pricey.  Ads sadly don’t get shut off when you buy the coin doubler.  It isn’t a big deal since you only see them when you log into the game the first time, but it would have been nice.

For some reason there doesn’t seem to be an ending comic sequence.  What gives?

 

In Closing:

Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword brings me back to my Sega Genesis.  The longer I play the more I turn back into that 13 year old boy.  Sure there are some cheap parts of the game, sure its insanely difficult at times, but it’s fun!  When I finally beat a level that was driving me crazy the past two hours I exhale and smile.  As I see the power my upgrades give me, I feel stronger.  Knowing this is totally free?  Amazing.

Get this if you love challenging games. Get this if you love endless runners but are tired of playing the same old endless runner.

Buy the coin doubler if you want to help support a game company that really gave their all to bring us an amazing addition to iOS.

 

Basic Info:

• Price: FREE on the Apple App Store!
• 79.2 MB
• 1 player game.
• 2 Game modes: Endless & Story mode with save points.
• Ads when you first open the game.
• Tapjoy Support
• Retina Display
• Great replay value.
• One save slot (You really don’t need another)
• Universal App
• Game Center Leader Board and Achievements

 

Web links:

Developer: http://www.xperimentalzgames.com/

Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dont-run-with-a-plasma-sword/id479907900?mt=8

 

Tips:

• Since this game is supported by Tapjoy watch as many of the videos as you can for easy free XP!
• Buy the Dash and Dive upgrades as soon as possible!
• To Dive, jump then press the slide button.
• Learn to judge the gaps between spaces.  Often if you are about to run off the edge of one platform to one lower you don’t need to jump at all.  This is really useful when there are flying baddies or you are going really fast.
• Try not to go very high when running levels or doing the endless running modes to avoid having to make blind jumps.
• Try to avoid the speed up power up.
• Make sure to upgrade the slow down power up and the power up spawn rates.
• Be sure to take breaks from the story mode to do a few of the challenges in the endless modes.  They are great ways to make XP in Don’t Run with a Plasma Sword and they are great practice.