Draw Slasher

You'd think repackaging the same object-slashing mini-game for the umpteenth time would result in a fair amount of consumer apathy, despite a tiny tweak here or there.

As Monkey Island has demonstrated on more than one occasion, though, there is very little in this world that can't be dramatically improved by the inclusion of zombie pirate monkeys - slash-'em-ups included.

In Draw Slasher, you play as a ninja trained in the art of slicing and dicing zombies. Using the virtual pad, you can dart left and right, while swooshing your finger across the screen cuts down the aforementioned living dead.

It’s fairly standard Fruit Ninja-esque stuff, but this feeling of familiarity is tempered somewhat by a rather interesting art direction. The grainy black-and-white horror movie visuals lends some much-needed identity to a game that otherwise doesn't stand out.

We won't deny that flicking a finger and watching your pint-sized feudal assassin casually carve through a dozen zombies is, at first, deeply satisfying.

Unfortunately, that satisfaction wears off when you discover awkward enemy placement on the edges of the level prevents you from properly placing kill slashes.

The occasional dodgy input detection on our HTC Desire Z that resulted in shortened, ineffective slashes is another tiny annoyance.

Still, once you get into the swing of things, the four game modes should keep you entertained, even if the main difference between them is the difficulty rather than any major changes to the gameplay.

Ultimately, the dearth of any real structure or variety quickly begins to show, and the main mechanic lacks the depth to make Draw Slasher anything other than a good-looking timewaster.