Fruit Ninja Kinect Review

[xy_game]Since Halfbrick first released the franchise onto the iPhone in 2010, Fruit Ninja has been nothing but successful. After further releases onto iPad, Android and Windows Phone 7, the popular fruit slicing arcade game has now come to the Xbox, becoming the first Kinect XBLA game.

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Fruit Ninja uses Kinect in an innovative way. The player’s hand motions act as a blade, chopping up fruit which is thrown around on the screen. Players can even use their feet to do a kick, though I wouldn’t recommend this in a small room! More than once slice can be made at the same time, however, doing so reduces accuracy. Points are earned when fruit is sliced. Extra points are awarded for slicing multiple fruit at once, or timing a cut to perfection. On top of this, bonus points are awarded at the end of each round.

The game features several different game modes. Arcade is the standard option, challenging players to cut as much fruit as they can within sixty seconds. As well as bombs that, if hit, reduce the players score, there are also special bananas. These bananas provide power ups such as double points, slow motion and fruit frenzy, which cause an increased amount of fruit to fly from all corners. Earning these bonuses is essential for a player to achieve a high score. The Classic game mode has no time limit. Instead, players are given three lives and must score as many points as they can. If they fail to cut a fruit they lose a life. This game mode can be fairly challenging, and requires good timing and accuracy. The final, more relaxed game mode is Zen, which allows players to aim for high scores against the clock without the nuisance of bombs.

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Fruit Ninja Kinect also features a challenge mode, giving players different trials to beat across all the game modes. Though they start off very simple, the challenges quickly become difficult; it’s easy to become hooked on beating them.  Moreover, Fruit Ninja supports co-op gameplay, allowing two players to work together or competitively. It is one of the few Kinect titles to support simultaneous two-player gameplay, and it works brilliantly.

If all the above modes were not enough, there are also weekly and lifetime leaderboards which allow players to compare themselves to their friends. It can become incredibly addictive to try and reach the number one spot and proclaim yourself Fruit Ninja champion. By completing certain challenges in the game, hidden items are unlocked. These include new blade colours and backgrounds to use when in-game. There are also several avatar awards, including gamer pictures and clothing items.

The game doesn’t just play great though. The vibrant selection of colours and multi-coloured patterns on screen give Fruit Ninja a fun and arcadey feel. The sound effects, though sometimes repetitive, are fun, and the Japanese themes used throughout give the game a welcoming feel.

Fruit Ninja is easily one of the, if not the most interactive Kinect game on the market. Though the content isn’t huge, for game value it can’t be beaten. Its addictiveness makes it not just a great game, but a decent physical workout too. Whether you are playing alone, or are having the party, Fruit Ninja Kinect gives you the perfect reason to pull out your Xbox and dust off the Kinect.