There are six points of contact on the screen, turning Unstoppable Fist into an evolved form of whack-a-mole. And with a touch of your finger, our nameless protagonist delivers a fistful of patriotism or a punishing kick to the enemy. With the inclusion of a vertical swipe, your arsenal is expansive enough to deal with anything on the screen. There is one major problem with this mechanic though; more than three enemies on the screen reveals the ever-so-slight sluggishness of the controls.  Because of this, the difference in difficulty levels is far too extreme. Also our protagonist has a somewhat limited range, so for a number of enemies several seconds go by as you watch, unable to do anything. If an enemy comes hurtling along from the other side, it is almost impossible not to get hit, which feels cheap. A few tweaks to the range would make the game worth being played several hundred times more.

Our unnamed hero and controls for attack

The pixel-art style is wonderfully crafted, and the animation is crisp, with every punch and kick delivered perfectly. But the smoothness of our protagonist only highlights the blandness of the enemies, whose animation cycles are repetitive and look out of place. But for the purpose they serve in the game, it may just be a minor complaint.

The audio design is the perfect complement to the visual aesthetics. Developers Ragtag Studios know just how good the soundtrack is, as they have released it as a standalone purchase. But it also shows how indie developers are looking at different revenue sources outside of an over-bloated in-app purchase system.

It is hard to complain about the lack of depth to the game, because of its price and that the game knows exactly what it is and what it is trying to do. The menus, options and the game play elements are all designed around simplicity. It does suffer from not having the longevity compared to other games of this style. Unlike Super Crate Box, it doesn’t the ability to be played for a minute on the train or for a half-hour in your house. But still, as a short blast for $0.99 it has enough going for it to be recommended.

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Chicago-based developers Ragtag Studio have launched their latest title, Unstoppable Fist, for iOS.  The 16-bit graphical style and chiptunes soundtrack – the latter free to download through Bandcamp – set the tone for this “infinite attack game”.

Featuring wave after wave of demonic enemies, Unstoppable Fist challenges players to correctly tap HI, MID, and LOW touch zones to pummel the hordes of possessed wildlife that attempt to overwhelm our mulleted hero. The game obviously has a sense of humor, and the Loafers of Light and Unstoppable Fists you wield help further that tone.

Harness the power of the golden mullet

The game is advertised as easy to pick and play for a few minutes on the go, but it also offers a few extras for the more committed, hardcore players out there. A robust achievement system will challenge the best players to bring their skill level up to the next level. Game Center leaderboards will also give friends bragging rights over one another.

Check out the trailer below, then head on over to iTunes to pick up the game today. For additional news from Ragtag Studio, you can Follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

© 2012 – 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.