Fist Face Fight

Throughout human existence there have been countless fist fights over matters of the heart. But none, we'd wager, quite like Fist Face Fight.

In this game, you control a creepily disembodied (disarmed?) fist, fighting off ninja hoards as they run towards an exposed heart.

It's not rocket science

The developer calls this a "physics based arena combat game," but that's a slightly lofty term for what is actually a very simple screen-tapping target shooter.

It's one of the oldest gaming uses of your iOS device's screen - tapping targets as they appear on-screen. There are a couple of minor twists to the format, however.

For one thing, the fact that your fist is actually represented on the screen means that you have to be aware of its positioning. Incoming projectiles will spell instant Game Over if they make contact with you.

There are also three targets to meet in order to pass the level - simply surviving the levels, as well as a set points target and a set number of ninjas to vanquish.

Mark of the ninja

Variety comes with the nature of the ninjas. Some will bounce around when you hit them the first time, requiring a good shot to finish them off. Others will disappear and reappear elsewhere.

The trouble is, all this boils down to a simple case of different ninjas requiring a varying amount of hits. It remains the same shallow screen tapper regardless.

That aforementioned three-target system contains a fundamental flaw, too. Each level attempt is randomised, so we found that there was no guarantee that you'd be presented with sufficient high-ranking targets to hit in order to fulfil the points threshold.

On several occasions, we came up short through no fault of our own, but because the game didn't give me the chance to succeed. This was deeply irritating.

Fist Face Fight presents itself as an original, exciting new iOS experience, but underneath its urgent soundtrack and bold retro art style, it's a deeply generic - and subtly flawed - target shooter.