Developer BIG BAD BRUSH is at it again with their second new game for iOS devices, Kung Fu Santa. Just like the previous game, Big Bad Flower, Kung Fu Santa sounds like a strange game at first but makes you curious about what it’s really all about. I mean Kung Fu and Santa don’t usually end up in the same sentence with each other so I was eager to see how this would turn out.

The story of Kung Fu Santa goes like this. Evil Elves have stolen Santa’s presents in order to sell them money instead of Santa giving them away for free. Santa doesn’t like this and unleashes his hidden Kung Fu abilities to beat some sense into these elves and to save Christmas for all the little boys and girls. Now with that said, tell me that doesn’t sound like some crazy plot for a cheesy b-movie that you would totally watch on Christmas. I know I’d watch it.

The first thing you’ll notice upon starting the game is the hilarious menu screen. I had to laugh when I saw Santa jumping all over the screen with flying kicks and punches with the cheesy oriental styled music and cliche Kung Fu sounds. It fits the game perfectly and really sets the tone for the whole game.

Gameplay wise, Kung Fu Santa really isn’t that difficult to understand or master. Basically all you do is jump from 1 of 3 candy cane poles that you can also slide up and down on. Presents drop from the top and you need to jump from pole to pole to get them. Elves also come down the poles and you can either slide down on them to push them off or Kung Fu kick them from the side. Don’t get hit by the elves however or its game over for Santa.

On the control side of things, it takes a bit getting used to. You’re suppose to either tab the direction you want to move or swipe but it’s a bit harder than it sounds. Sometimes he doesn’t do what I want him to do. Also, sometimes it’s a little difficult getting Santa to alternate between the left and right side of each pole. I found that tapping works best to move between poles while swiping works to move left and right on the pole. That’s the best method I’ve found so far but it still could be tweaked some to be more responsive.

Kung Fu Santa is a very fun game that is quite different from a lot of the holiday games that are out there right now. The game is very quirky and you can tell its a BIG BAD BRUSH game. It’s a hard game to put down once you start although it will take you a few rounds to master the controls and the timing of when to attack the elves. I played for quite a bit trying to get the highest score I could until I was forced to stop playing because I had to do other things. There really isn’t much not to like about this game except that I would maybe tighten up the controls a bit more and make a little bit more responsive. Other than that, it’s a fun holiday game that the whole family should enjoy.

Kung Fu Santa is available in the App Store now for $0.99. Make sure that you are running OS 3.2 or higher which means it will not work on some older devices.

Description

KUNG FU SANTA Santa is here to save Christmas from the evil elves! The evil elves have stolen all of KUNG FU SANTA’s presents and plans to sell them all for money. Greedy little things aren’t they? But alas, KUNG FU SANTA is here with his superior Kung Fu moves!

KUNG FU SANTA is a unique concept with intense game play. Playing as the master himself, the user will have to jump between moving candy cane poles and save all the presents, while avoiding dangers such as poison goo, bombs, and evil elves!

FEATURES:
* Game Center: Master the boards!
* Retina Display: High Resolution Sharpness so you can see Santa’s skills!
* In-Game highscores
* Collect presents and gold!
* Kung Fu!

HIGHLY ADDICTIVE:
* Collect as many presents as you can!
* Beautiful and colorful illustrations.

HOW TO PLAY:
* Tap on candy cane poles or swipe left and right to move
* Collect presents and fill up Christmas bag!
* Avoid dangers and stop Evil Elves!

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch and/or iPad
* Requires iOS 3.2 or later

[via App Store]