Cactus Jumper is an Android game that blends fast-paced action with strategy to deliver a unique style fo gameplay that doesn’t just ask players to keep on jumping, but rather to keep on thinking. Players need to figure out whether or not they need to jump one, two or three Cactus lengths, and they need to do this all the while keeping an eye on how much water they have to keep them alive in the Desert, and dodging the Cacti themselves. Thanks to this blend of quick paced action as well as fast-thinking strategy, Cactus Jumper ends up being a game that will appeal to all kinds of users, including the casual and those looking for something a little more challenging. So, let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Players that want to try something out new will need to download Cactus Jumper from the Play Store. Once they’ve done that, they can fire up the game and start playing.
Players are given the opportunity to go through the included tutorial, and for new players, it’s well worth playing through. As mentioned, the main mechanic here in Cactus Jumper is jumping over the Cacti dotted throughout the Desert.
On top of this, there are things that players need to look out for, such as your ever-decreasing amount of water detailed in the top-left corner.
This makes things tricky, as players need to keep constantly moving in order to find Canteens or Oasises to restock on water, which makes the whole “think carefully” side of things a lot more difficult when you need to keep on moving. Playing the game plays similarly to an endless runner sort of game, but each time you play it, the level’s layout will have changed since the last time you played it.
You might be wondering why that is, but it’s down to the fact that there are missions, that keep on evolving as you meet and complete the different missions. These missions are essentially goals for each and every run that you take through the Desert. Meeting these missions also unlocks achievements as well, which forms another part of the gameplay. making your way through the Desert is good fun and will constantly keep throwing challenges in your face.
Part of the fun in Cactus Jumper is the unique hats that you can purchase with the gold that you accumulate, and there are a wide variety of hats available from the main menu.
These different hats all have different qualities to them, and will offer unique abilities to make trawling through the Desert even more entertaining. Collecting them is good fun as well, but figuring out exactly what they do is the other half of the fun.
It’s not just the Desert that you’ll be exploring however, it’s also the varied locations that you’ll come across the further you keep dodging those pesky Cacti for.
You’ll no doubt have noticed the change in appearance here, and this is down to the fact that Cactus Jumper has all kinds of other characters that users can unlock throughout their playing of the game. This changes the overall feel of the game as well, because in the Cave there’s no thirst meter, but rather a torch meter which allows players to keep on seeing where they’re going. In a similar fashion, there is also the Jungle zone, too.
These levels and such often lead to boss fights, wherein players will have to jump left and right and then bide their time for a space to attack the boss. This changes up the overall feel of the game, and will no doubt prove challenging for players.
Cactus Jumper is the sort of game that needs to be played in order to understand why it’s so much fun. With all the different varieties of gameplay styles blended together, the end result is certainly worth giving a go. Having to constantly figure out how many Cactus lengths you need to jump, all the while moving as quickly as possible is very challenging, a lot more so than you’d imagine. Doing something quickly is one thing, but then add in choice to the equation, and things start to become very challenging, indeed. All of the extras that are available here, such as the different hats as well as the different characters are great to see as they make the game not only more appealing for players that have been playing for some time, but give the game some sort of purpose. Running through the Desert for the sake of it, with no story to speak of might make Cactus Jumper feel like a game that has no purpose, but these extras give players something to work towards, as do the achievements and the missions. Collecting is something everyone enjoys, and when the hats you do collect change the overall gameplay, it makes this even more enjoyable.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Everything in Cactus Jumper runs well, and the overall pace of the gameplay is up to the player, while also ensuring that they work quickly.
- Theme (4/5) – While the Desert’s backdrop might become a little repetitive over time for a lot of players, it does look good and it’s far from offensive, no matter how long you end up playing the game for.
- Features (4/5) – The gameplay at the center of things is well worth trying out, and with the added bonuses of fun hats to collect as well as different characters, there’s more than enough on offer here to keep people occupied and entertained.
- Overall (4/5) – While it won’t be for everyone, the quick-paced action, all the while needing to use your head, will appeal to players in a new kind of way that other games don’t. With extras like the hats and the different characters, Cactus Jumper is certainly a game that gives players a lot to look forward to.
Pros
- Doesn’t give players complicated controls to mess around with, as all the buttons are easy to see and easy to press, making this a game that can be played by all ages and all kinds of players.
- Challenging gameplay keeps players on their toes by askin them to keep on moving while also still thinking on what they’re going to do next.
- Collection of hats and different characters gives players in Cactus Jumper something else to do while also spending time with the myriad of fun characters.
- Missions and achievements make trying over and over again to go further than the previous time entertaining.
Cons
- Might end up becoming repetitive for some players depending on how much time they’ve spent playing the game.
- For some players, the need to figure out how many steps to jump could be a turn off.
While it won’t appeal to everyone, Cactus Jumper is an endless runner game for the thinkers out there, for people that want to use their brain while playing a casual game, this is a great option. It’s also one of the few endless runner games that treats its players with respect, rather than treat them like idiots. Well worth trying out, Cactus Jumper is entertaining as well as very addictive.