Shadow Bug is a super fun cross between Fruit Ninja and Badland

Shadow Bug has just been released on Android and is an awesome mix of Badland and Fruit Ninja. The titular character is a lean, mean monster-dicing machine with fearsome ninja skills and a samurai sword (among other weapons). With the foreground action silhouetted against lushly painted backdrops, there’s something very familiar but totally unique about Shadow Bug’s gameplay.

Shadow Bug sees you controlling this blobby shadow weapon in an attempt to thwart a factory from ruining his forest home. Environments range from sewers oozing with green slime to spooky dead woods to industrial areas replete with buzzing saws and rotating cogs. All told there are 37 levels to play through.

Shadow Bug’s controls are dead simple too, utilizing the familiar one-finger tap approach to jumping and attacking enemies. Besides slicing and dicing wth a samurai sword, there’s also some heavy artillery like tanks to control. Take a look at the teaser video below to get an idea of the puzzle-solving gameplay that awaits.

Shadow Bug is technically the Android prequel to Shadow Bug Rush, released back in October, which was itself a sequel to the original Shadow Bug on iOS. Despite the topsy-turvy release of the game on Android, you now have two Shadow Bug titles to enjoy. However, where Shadow Bug Rush is a free install with in-app purchases, Shadow Bug opts instead for a $3.99 price tag with no IAPs.

What do you think of Shadow Bug? Know any other similar games?