In a rare showing for the free to play mobile market, what we have here is a very addictive and fun game. One with a good premise, nice visuals and gameplay that keeps you coming back time after time.
By chance have you seen any videos of those face slapping competitions? Two people stand in front of each other and take turns to hit each other as hard as possible in the face with a slap. Presumably the loser is the one who gets knocked out or gives up. It’s just one of the many odd things humans like to do to each other.
This competition is the premise of Slap Kings, although done in a much more cartoonish way.
Your character (you don’t get to choose another) must slap his way through opponent after opponent in various themed locations. Stop the marker right in the centre of the bar to deliver the most powerful slap you can and knock your opponent out…literally. Once theirs or your health bar drops to zero ragdoll physics take over meaning you can launch them out of the ring and into the baying crowd. It’s always amusing.
Of course with each new opponent comes increased difficulty so you have to improve your own stats to progress. Using coins earned in game and by watching ads, you can upgrade two things. The first your health and the other, your slap power. All pretty self-explanatory and all completely necessary if you want to keep playing.
You’ll want to as well. Sure it’s just the same thing over and over again but it’s surprisingly addictive. Not only that, the detail (well, most of the detail) is admirable. The damage you inflict and that is inflicted on you is reflected in the characters faces in amusing fashion. Locations change and each character is fairly unique and interesting. It’s a lot of effort not normally seen in a free to play game so is well worth praising here.
Even the eyeless watchers that are downright creepy, become a source of fascination.
Like all free to play games, Slap Kings is heavy on the ads but unlike most others, it’s a bit more forgivable here. Are they still too often? Absolutely but with enjoyable gameplay they become that little bit more bearable.