Naughty Boy Review

Families, though a loving tribe, can be a dysfunctional bunch, and Naughty Boy is explores the fantasy of actually sling shotting your loved ones during bouts of frustration. During the first few minutes of mischief, I was completely won over by its irreverent tone. But busting through the starting gate with moxie doesn't guarantee a picture perfect finish. So is this title a naughty good download, or should this boy stay locked up in his room?

Naughty Boy's goal is to raise a little ruckus, as this kid is simply tired of being bothered by his kin. To keep them at bay, he has a slingshot at his disposal, and it's a weapon which does heaps of damage to whichever room he inhabits. The most important goal is to consistently evade the family before they get their stinking mitts on the tyke and shake him into submission.

If they manage to dodge your shots and are a hair's breath within grabbing you, batteries are available to give them the shock of their life and ensure the kid's continued mayhem. Unfortunately, batteries are an in-app purchase, and while you'll get a bunch of these excellent lifesavers in the beginning, you'll run out of these puppies in no time flat. And when you can't sling straight and run out of batteries, grandma's loving grasp isn't too far behind.

As you meet various challenges in the game, a series of upgrades will be available to purchase. That initial tennis ball can eventually be replaced by a billiard ball, and your stick weapon can also be ramped up to a golden slingshot, as both improvements will cause greater damage to the people and items within the area. A boost named La Bomba obliterates everything in its path, and helps knock out any members who are bent on doing you harm. La Bomba is also employed in levels where the objective is to simply destroy everything you see.

With a straightforward objective and a simple tap and swipe mechanic to boot, learning the intricacies of the game takes a matter of minutes. Plus, we also understand the child's bratty behavior, especially since his family are almost as equally annoying as he is. When your own mother is picking up a sling shot to take you down, it's obvious not too much nurturing is practiced in this household. Besides, what kind of clan has a raccoon as the house pet?

Naughty Boy eventually fails in a few departments which, unfortunately, erased any good will I had for the once promising title. Even though upgrades do aid in increasing your one kid wrecking crew status, batteries will eventually be needed during the more difficult levels. While I don't begrudge in-game purchases, dramatically increasing the amount of batteries you need to finish each successive stage is a bit of a rip-off.

I would have entertained a battery purchase if Naughty Boy didn't possess an all too fatal flaw. Within a span of an hour, the game crashed on me several times, during the middle of game play, and I even had to restart my iPad to get things moving. Hopefully the developers work out the kinks, but until then, crapping out while during iOS play time is a simple no-no. It's a shame, since I'll miss destroying the family's suit of armor room. Alas, it was kinda cool when it lasted.

Once Naughty Boy fixes its bug issues, I may return for a few rounds. But since batteries aren't really included after you run out of your first batch, I may just delete this app altogether. I've paid for in-game additions only to be disappointed with a few glitches down the road. I may relate to this troublemaker's joie de vivre, but that doesn't mean he's taking my lunch money.

App Store Link: Naughty Boy for iPhone & iPad | Heliceum | Price: $1.99 | Version: 1.0 | 46.7 MB | Rating: 9+