Kula Jump – extremely fun & addictive tilt-jump game yet ruined by overzealous ads :-(

by Paul Wilks Jan 18, 2013 11:34 AM – Leave your thoughts

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Kula Jump is a fun jumping game that sees you endeavoring to achieve the highest jump possible. If you’ve played games like Hyper Jump or Mega Jump, you’ll be right at home with Kula Jump as the trio are all extremely similar.

Price: Free, plus In-app Purchases

Tested on: Nexus 4
Content Rating: Everyone

AndroidTapp.com Android Game Review:

Pros & Cons:

Pros

Addictive gameplay!
Easy to play!

Cons

Far too much like other games.
Swamped in ads.

Features:

Kula Jump is another game in the familiar ‘jumping‘ genre of games. Your character leaps ever upward as he collects coins and bonus items. You control an ‘elfin’ by tilting your device from side to side. Catching coins boosts you plus you have to ensure you continue going up. There are plenty of boosts- from rockets and stars to power ups that turn you into a balloon and enable you to float upwards, your wider frame collecting more coins than usual. If you have played any of the games mentioned before (and others, there are quite a few of these games in the Google Play Store), all this will be immediately recognizable.

Sadly, before you get to play the game your screen is splattered with adverts; pop-ups to receive notifications, a full page ad, an ad to access other games available, plus a banner ad before you have even jumped for the first time. In addition to the ads, the game follows the freemium model by letting you make in-app purchases. While you can earn free coins to do so via Tapjoy (download more games, begin new services, etc. in exchange for virtual game coins), you can also use real money to buy in-game coins. So while the game follows a familiar jumping theme in terms of gameplay, the life and soul has been soundly monetized out of it.

This aside, the game plays very well although the graphics are inferior and not as smooth as the likes of Hyper Jump. This, combined with the intrusive in-game monetization, means while the game is certainly familiar and fun to play, there are far better options out there.

Many free games go with banner ads or in-app purchases, but few tick all boxes available at the same time. Count ‘em: links to access other games, banner advertising, Tapjoy downloads, in-app purchases AND additional notifications, it’s a game swamped in ads of all kinds. This ultimately smothers the game itself and quickly causes you to prefer other titles that feature similar gameplay.

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (1)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (2)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (3)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (4)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (5)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (6)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (7)

: Kula Jump – Gameplay sample (8)

: Kula Jump – 2D graphics very similar to Hyper-Jump although not as rich

: Kula Jump – Collect coins

: Kula Jump – Game over

: Kula Jump – Loading

: Kula Jump – Umm notifications notification

: Kula Jump – Full screen ads

: Kula Jump – Tapjoy offers

: Kula Jump – Bonus items and upgrades

: Kula Jump – Bonus items and upgrades 2

Fun Factor:

If you like similar games, you’ll certainly enjoy the gameplay here. If Kula Jump was just about the gameplay it would be a nice little game. Sadly it’s just as much about the ads- so having to wade through these can put you off the game entirely.

Addictive:

Again, if it was just about the gameplay then yes, it’s addictive. However, being faced with at least three types of advertising or promotion BEFORE you even play it for the first time is enough to put anyone off.

Graphics:

The graphics are colorful, bright and work well with the game. I note, however, the FPS is noticeably lower than the likes of Hyper Jump and thus the game suffers a little clunkiness. It doesn’t feel as smooth and the experience just can’t compare. There are certainly games out there that are far worse visually, but by replicating Mega Jump and Hyper Jump so closely, you cannot help but compare.

Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:

There are sound effects which signify coin collecting, as well as the various boosts you glean while you ascend. There is some basic keyboard music in the background which manages to be uninspiring and yet not wholly annoying at the same time.

AndroidTapp.com Rating

AndroidTapp.com Rating! (2.2 out of 5)

Should you Download Kula Jump? With lots of other, better, games out there, I see little point in downloading Kula Jump. Without so much advertising and with slightly better graphics, it would be a better game and receive a far higher score. However, it is literally smothered in monetization and this ruins an otherwise fair game. My recommendation would be to try any of the similar games out there, most notably Hyper Jump which offers a slick paid-for version of the game and more power-ups and customisations than you shake a stick at.

Developer: mountain lion

Tags: Accelerometer, Accelerometer Games, Android App, Android Apps, Android Game, AndroidTapp.com App Review, Freemium, Hyper Jump, jump, Kula Jump, Tapjoy, Tilt Control

Categorised in: Casual