The Nardio Review

Is it Worth Your Time?

Yes.

 

What Should I Play it On?

Akane the Kunoichi is available to play on all iOS 4.3 and later devices.  As always, I prefer gaming on my iPad.

 

What Did You Think Without Spoiling it?

Akane the Kunoichi is like a shorter Ninja Gaiden for the iOS with more forgiving gameplay and worse controls. Akane the Kunoichi is classically old school, bringing with it interesting level design, good 2D side-scrolling retro graphics and fun boss fights. After playing it on and off this weekend, I finished it feeling satisfied and eager to see what else this developer has in store for us.  The intro is adorable with Akane following the man she loves.

 

How Does it Play?

The music is really great.  The in-game art is good. Unfortunately, the controls just don’t work quite right for me.  They are player customizable in size and location, so it’s just about finding a fit that works best for you.  After a while I did find a configuration that worked best for me, but I did still suffer from problems here and there afterward. The level and game design are great though. I really enjoyed looking around levels to find kimonos and powers ups.  The boss fights are really fun, too. Each one keeps you on your toes and takes a few times to master and defeat. For completists, you can can find each of the three kimonos that are scattered throughout the level. It’s a short but fun title.  I really hope the developer adds some bonus levels later on to help round out the experience.  Over all, Akane the Kunoichi is totally worth the .99 cent cost of admission.

 

Why it Works:

The gameplay, despite its control problems, is fun, tough but never unforgiving or cheap.  Thankfully, the game supports iCade so if you really want those physical buttons you can pop it on and go.  What really won me over here was the awesome music

 

No Like?

Oh how I wish the directional controls were tighter on screen.  Akane the Kunoichi really does demand an update to improve the interface and response.  We need the option to change the control layout in the pause menu, not all the way back in the start screen.  The game really does need more levels.   As much fun as it is, it is still pretty short.

 

Basic Info:

• Cost: $.99
• 1 player game
• iCade Support
• Universal app
• 68.5 MB
• 5 Different environments with 3 acts each.
• Good replay value
• Continuing developer support and fixes

 

Weblinks:

Game Website –  http://www.haruneko.com/

App store – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/akane-the-kunoichi/id532874759?mt=8