Sexy Pillowfight
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| Sexy Pillowfight

Sexy sells. We'd imagine that's pretty much the first page of the Marketing handbook. In fact it's probably the first three chapters.

No matter whether you're selling a car, washing powder, tissues or even life insurance, the lesson remains the same – stick an alluring lady on the screen (preferably scantily clad and with a cheeky smile) and you're pretty much guaranteed to grab attention and thus increase sales.

The creators of I-Play's latest are clearly graduates of this school of thought, having not only crammed their fighting game full of scantily clad females but also engaged them in a virtual catfight with bedding materials. Oh and just in case that was too subtle, they've also decided to add the word 'Sexy' to the title.

Chances are the game is going to sell bucket loads as a result. But does it deserve to, and is there actually any substance beneath the sexiness?

At first glance it's very tempting to say 'probably not', with the mechanics behind the pillowfighting action appearing even simpler than the marketing ploy. Whilst the game's presentation pays colourful homage to 2D arcade fighters like Street Fighter 2 and King of Fighters (right down to the parallax scrolling backgrounds and fancy screen effects for special moves), the action here is much more basic.

The moves available are limited to high and low shots, a block, a dodge and one special multi-hit attack. Further shackles are then applied by a rapidly disappearing energy metre that leaves you out of breath and exposed after a frenzied onslaught. Couple this with the prescient blocking skills of your phone-controlled opponents (who seem, unlike you, to be able to block without drastically depleting their health bar) and the only viable tactic is to dodge their attacks and then clobber them when they're caught off guard.

Effectively this leaves you with a game that is less about frantic combo-filled battles and more a test of memory and timing. And yet strangely enough this turns out to be not such bad news after all.

Granted, if you came here expecting Street Fighter in short skirts you're going to be bitterly disappointed but in truth Pillowfight's controls are far more suited to the mobile keypad than the former proved, allowing for single-handed or even one thumb play.

What's more, there is a fair bit of subtlety on offer behind the game's skimpy top. The challenge provided by the distinctly different attacking styles of your opponents is sure to keep you on your toes – and more often than not on your knees, too, following a judicious feather-filled combo to the noggin.

The option to swap pillows (once unlocked during play) adds an element of strategy, with different brands offering power, defence and special capabilities, and there's also variety on offer from bonus games such as ring-out, survivor and various challenges.

But besides the digital eye-candy and the prospect of beating a girls' catty remarks back down her throat, what really keeps you coming back here is the game's clever reward structure. Manage to achieve something notable, such as a perfect score, knocking an opponent out in less than 30 seconds, or using a certain number of special attacks, and you'll rack up an award. Aside from adding some points and maybe even giving you a bonus item (such as a new pillow or outfit), this fills in an entry on your achievement page, which serves to both celebrate your endeavours and simultaneously tease you with all the trophies yet to be won.

Likewise, with the main career mode divided into distinct mini seasons, you know there's always a title to be won if you can just get past the next fight. These factors also add to the replay value, ensuring that you keep coming back until you can secure the Assassin or Dominator merit badges and achieve MVPF or Legend status.

Admittedly this replay value is unlikely to last beyond a week of gaming sessions (a multiplayer mode and the option to play as other characters might have helped here), but you'll get your money's worth and, whilst you do play, you'll more than likely have a smile on your face

Sexy Pillowfight

Smarter than it initially looks, Sexy Pillowfight offers a fun place to rest your head in those five minute game breaks
Score
Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.