Recently we were asked to review a new iPhone game for the band Shinobi Ninja out of New York City. For those of you who don’t know them (and I’ll be honest I didn’t prior to them emailing me) Shinobi Ninja is an independent rock/rap group which features lead singers DA and Baby Girl, bassist Jonny on the Rocks, drummer Terminator Dave, guitarist Maniac Mike, and DJ Axis Powers. Shinobi Ninja is an interesting fusion of rock, alternative and hip-hop party music. And if that wasn’t diverse enough for you, they have a new iPhone game as well.
We get a lot of iPhone game review requests at Shogun. Most are so bad I don’t even bother taking the time to write a review about how bad they are. However, this games title is “Brooklyn to Babylon: Shinobi Ninja Attacks.” So, based on that alone I had to take a look no matter what. But is the game any good?
Well, first off they don’t want you to really think of this as a Game. The official description of the app claims it is “a participatory-listening software application that is part cartoon video game, part music video, and part music/video player.” Which I have to say is pretty much bang on. Yes, there is a great pocket arcade game included, but the whole package is hardly just a “Game.”
On the main menu you’ll find four options. Attack, Music, Video and Shinobi Live. Let’s start by talking about the main attraction for gamers, which is the arcade based “Attack” mode. In this mode you’ll start by selecting one of four playable characters. Terminator Dave, who wields drumsticks; Baby Girl, who uses a corded mic like a mace; DA, who rocks a mic stand; and Maniac Mike, swinging his electric guitar like a battle axe.
Each player has their own combo attack that interchanges between their weapon, to hand-to-hand combat, to real weapons. For example DA Jabs with his mic stand, karate chops on the second strike and then pulls out two swords. Imagine if Donatello decided to randomly pick up Leonardo’s swords too.
In addition to your attack, you can build up a “special attack” meter which clears the screen of enemies when triggered. Each character has their own special attack that each look different and have various in-game effects. It really helps keep things interesting and rewards you for trying each character.
The combat is really well done and feels great. If you enjoy the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Simpsons Classic arcade gameplay from back in the day, this feels wonderfully similar in terms of movement, controls and collision. You’ve got your standard movement, attack and jump controls. Simply touching the special meter when it’s full triggers your ultimate move.
The only issue I had with the controls was the decision to use an 8 point virtual D-Pad VS a free flowing joystick. The recent Simpsons Arcade game had the best portable Beat-em-Up controls I’d felt on the iPhone. Brooklyn To Babylon is by no means bad i this area. I just found that to get the most precision control I had to hover my thumb over the D-Pad and only touch when I wanted to move. It can get a little uncomfortable hovering you thumb by the final level. But otherwise, everything is superbly responsive.
The Other thing people will notice about Brooklyn to Babylon is the awesome art in this app. It comes across as part comic book part classic arcade inspired. The style is very simple, yet extremely detailed. The vivid and interesting graphics really do make a treat to play on your iPhone.
With other great features such as the ability to unlock band music and movies clips, along with the ability to tap into “Special Unlockables” when attending their live shows; the app packs a lot of features into your download.
There is a free LITE version available and the full retail version will cost $3.99. If you’re a big fan of the band, this is definitely a must buy. However, if you’re simply looking for an arcade beat-em-up on your phone the price tag may be a little steep. The Attack modes 4 levels and 4 bosses is awesome, but can be completed in about 15-20 minuets. But the good news is for a limited time you can get the app for 1.99, which I think is well worth the download.
Yes much much better. Box Head made me so sad...that is such a good flash game...horrible port though. This is a good grab at 1.99 if you like the Simpsons arcade game. Similar game play, cool specials and nice art.
This games actually pretty good. It's a little short, but it's on sale right now.
is this better than Boxhead: Zombie War? Ha!