Fruit Ninja Full Review: Story, Game play, Graphics & More

Fruit Ninja Full Review: Story, Game play, Graphics & More

It’s quite clear how the story behind the game of Fruit Ninja goes since I still remember picking up the phone and opening Fruit Ninja to kill some boring time. And what did I get? Instead of leaving the game, I kept playing several rounds trying to break my high score.

This is the best way to describe the game of Fruit Ninja for Android and iOS – it looks incredibly simple when you first look at it. However, once you become obsessed with scoring higher, getting more combos and critical hits, you’ll find out how addicting the game really is.

As far as I am concerned, it’s always nice when the game doesn’t require any tutorial to be able to start playing. Fruit Ninja fits the description perfectly, since you just have to start slicing fruits right after launching the game and selecting the mode.

However, after playing the game longer, there is much more about the game than just slicing the fruits.

Let’s talk about my review of Fruit Ninja mobile game and its mechanics, modes, graphics, controls, performance, progression, difficulty, sound, and ads.

What Is Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja is a mobile phone game with an arcade theme. It has a single concept, which is to slice fruit using swipe controls without hitting the bombs and other obstacles.

The very idea sounds pretty simple and almost impossible to play.

The game starts when you get fruits on the screen, then swipe across the screen to slice them. You can slice several fruits at once and make combos.

That's where the greatest advantage of the game lies.

It doesn't require any experience to play the game.

One who plays for the first time will get used to the controls in seconds.

And yet, achieving a good score requires lots of practice.

And that is what keeps players going.

Does Fruit Ninja Feature a Story?

In case you expect an action movie-style campaign where there are characters, dialogues, and missions, then Fruit Ninja does not have any such story.

In fact, there is no story at all which needs to be followed.

The game focuses on arcade game play, achievements, and improving yourself.

For such a game, I really believe that the absence of the story is not a drawback. Fruit Ninja is not a game for those who prefer spending much time on games but rather one which can be played anytime.

It can be played for a few minutes before doing something important or longer if you wish to achieve a high score.

Fruit Ninja Game play

Game play is very easy to understand.

When fruit comes on the screen, you must slice it before it flies away from the screen.

It is done by swiping your finger across the screen. One swipe will cut one fruit; but a proper swipe may cut multiple pieces of fruit.

It will be an effortless task for the first few levels.

After that, the pace of the game increases.

New fruits start appearing. It is difficult to predict the pattern of objects. Bombs may also come along with fruit.

It is here when the easy game mechanics start becoming interesting.

Combos Add up to Something Significant

One of the first things I realized was that slashing anything without stopping is not always the most efficient method.

If there are several fruits appearing nearby, try making a connection between them with one single swipe.

The formation of a successful combo results in earning significantly more points than slicing each piece of fruit separately.

This also feels really rewarding since the game provides instant feedback through visual and audio effects.

You can see the fruit getting split into pieces, listen to the sound of slicing, and watch your score being counted.

Game Controls

Touch controls are arguably the best thing about Fruit Ninja.

No need to remember any buttons.

Your finger is basically the sword.

Swipe on the screen and get an immediate response.

Controls work very naturally on a decent Android phone and iPhone. The larger screen will help you to see approaching fruit better and a smaller one can make you feel somewhat restricted while moving quickly.

The mistake I did in the beginning was that I always tried to move quickly if there were many things on the screen.

It used to be helpful if there were only fruits.

Once bombs appeared in the picture, it became quite harmful.

I began to pay more attention to what was coming onto the screen rather than just react to the movement.

Game Modes

The Fruit Ninja game has come a long way throughout the years, and there is more in the current mobile version compared to the original arcade game.

Depending on the game version and what is currently available on your smartphone running either Android or iOS OS, you will be able to come across various types of challenges, events, and game play modes.

The list may vary depending on the update and changes made to the game, but the idea is that you play short arcade games with various goals and challenges.

Classic-Style Play

The classic style of play is the aspect that people may remember the most.

Players will be slicing fruit to obtain the highest possible score by dodging the bombs that come in the way.

With time, players can make the game as thrilling as possible.

It is suitable for situations where the player has limited time to play.

Challenge-Based Play

Another element of the game is the challenges that players are given.

Rather than always aiming at obtaining the highest score possible, the challenges will force players to play differently.

Challenges could include making more use of combos, specific fruits or scoring opportunities.

I appreciate this kind of play since it keeps things interesting.

Difficulty

Fruit Ninja is a simple game at the start.

That is by design.

The game wants you to grasp the mechanics of the controls first before asking you for faster reflexes.

As the speed picks up, the element of concentration becomes all the more crucial.

The most challenging aspect is not making sure that you move your finger. It is making sure that you do not move your finger.

This becomes particularly difficult when hazards appear along with the fruits.

Your carelessness can cost you your perfect streak in an instant.

What I learned the most is simple.

Never panic when you have lots of objects on the screen.

When you go after everything right away, you stand a higher chance of failing.

Visuals and Graphics Quality

Fruit Ninja possesses an attractive style of visuals that is especially good for mobile devices.

The fruits are easily identifiable, the cutting animation is obvious enough to be noticeable without causing confusion and generally the graphics are vibrant and energetic.

The game does not pretend to have visuals similar to a console AAA title.

And there is no need for that.

Its graphic design relies on clarity and reaction speed.

This is important since in a rapid game session, the player should identify fruit and dangers immediately.

The excessive use of unnecessary graphics would only impede the experience.

Fruit and Effects

The cutting animation is an example of one of those little things that makes the game fun.

The visual response from your swipe is very immediate.

The synergy between motion, effects, sound and scoring gives some satisfaction from each slice.

Sound and Music

This topic also reveals that Fruit Ninja is good at basics.

The audio effects give helpful feedback during the game play.

While hitting several fruit pieces at once, you have audio feedback confirming your success.

Both music and audio effects can be tuned in accordance with the particular version and device settings.

For my part, I would prefer to keep sound effects because they make the game feel more responsive.

At the same time, if you are playing the game publicly, you can just reduce the phone volume or mute the game.

Performance on Android

As Fruit Ninja is basically an mobile game, you should feel comfortable while playing it on most smartphones.

Using a new Android phone, you may expect a smooth touch and responsive game play.

However, the performance will depend on such factors as the device itself, OS version, background applications, refresh rate, and the game version used.

In case your smartphone is old, you can close extra applications in order to improve game performance.

Furthermore, you do not need a costly gaming phone to play Fruit Ninja.

This is one of its greatest benefits.

iPhone Performance

The iOS platform takes advantage of the control that Apple has over both the hardware and the software environment.

In compatible iPhone devices, touch sensitivity comes naturally and the game play is easy to learn.

This may depend largely on the age of the device as well as its version of iOS, but it is important to check the compatibility information available on the App Store at all times.

But for those looking to play casual games on their iPhones, Fruit Ninja is just the kind of game to play.

You can open it fast, play for some time and exit it just as quickly.

Advertisements and In-App Purchases

This is definitely one aspect that should be considered by mobile game players.

Free-to-play games have been known to make use of advertisements and additional purchases, and so Fruit Ninja has done as well with regards to its mobile iterations.

The specific type of advertisements and purchases may vary depending on the updates, region, and editions.

In case you don't want interruptions while playing, then this is one thing to think about before immersing yourself in the game for hours.

One more thing that I would recommend doing is investigating what you will gain by purchasing an in-game item.

Purchasing an item should enhance your gaming experience since you like what it can do for you.

Is Fruit Ninja Good for Children?

The game is easy to understand, using cartoon graphics without the depiction of violent images.

Thus, it is easy to play by kids, however, it should be remembered that different mobile versions may have some ads, online mode, or other in-game purchases.

Therefore, when you let your kid play this game on your mobile device, it is better to check purchase and parental control settings on this device.

This small trick will help you to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Usage of Battery Life

As Fruit Ninja is quite light arcade game compared with 3D games that require a lot of computing power, the game itself does not require many system resources.

However, such factors like screen back light, display refresh rate, active apps, phone activity via networks and the phone battery status affect the usage of battery life.

Lowering the back light of the display during the game play will help you save the battery life.

The Best Ways to Improve Your Game Performance

If you are a newbie in Fruit Ninja, here are the aspects that I would prioritize.

1. Avoid Random Swiping

Although random swiping may seem more efficient, there is a high chance of missing fruit or hitting dangerous objects.

Make sure to follow the movements on the screen carefully.

2. Identify Groups of Fruit

Identify fruit groups, and cut them all in one go to get combo scores.

3. Not All Fruits Should Be Chased

Not every fruit on the screen deserves your efforts.

It may be better to leave it than to attempt to slice it and possibly hurt yourself by hitting something dangerous.

4. Control Your Finger Movement

It can be challenging to react to the events on the screen while making enormous gestures.

Small but accurate movements are much easier to control.

5. Practice, Rather than Expect High Scores Right Away

In your first several games, your aim will be getting used to the timing.

Low scores in your first games are quite normal.

After you have learned how to handle finger movements correctly, everything else will fall into place.

Mistakes Made by Beginners

The first mistake that is made is moving too quickly.

Quick does not necessarily mean effective.

The second mistake made is being only concerned with fruit.

Hazards should also be considered as well.

The third mistake is becoming overly aggressive following a good combo.

This mistake occurred for me a number of times.

Having a good run going, seeing fruit appearing, then cutting as many as I could right away.

Sometimes, this confidence would result in an unnecessary error.

The message is simple, protect a good run and not be greedy.

Is Fruit Ninja Still a Good Game to Play?

Yes, if you like casual arcade games.

The thing that surprised me the most when I played Fruit Ninja is how this mechanic that initially seems very childish swiping fruit has managed to stay interesting for such a long period of time.

The trick here is not complicated game play.

It's the mix of quick response time, simplicity of controls, increasing difficulty, and the motivation to outperform yourself in the previous sessions.

It might take you two minutes or keep you occupied for much longer.

It's great for mobile gaming.

All you need to think about is monetization, ads, in-game purchases, and game modes that appeal to you personally.