Mini Ninjas Review: Ninjas… Just Smaller

Written by 2.o | October 22, 2009

Mini Ninjas

The release of the “Lego Star Wars” games a few years ago somehow managed to usher in a new hybrid genre of games; cute, but complex. It may have almost been almost inevitable in today’s gaming market, since the original “gamers” are now well grown up, and starting to have families, if they haven’t already for years, and there’s only so much graphic violence you can introduce into a home with youngins. Which brings us to “Mini Ninjas,” a tale of the last ninja, on a quest to save his friends, and his village from an evil master. Sure, it could have been hyper violent, like some ninja games tend to be, but developer IO Interactive went a different way with the game, making it more cute and cuddly than bloody and gory. Fortunately, the game’s overall look and feel don’t detract from the quality of the game, so it isn’t so adorable that you can’t play it without hating yourself for enjoying it.

At first glance “Mini Ninjas” is a very simple two button game, that has you running around various environments hacking and slashing enemies as they attack. However, that’s just where the game starts, and it gets more complex from there. You get to jump between multiple characters with the click of a button, as well as use a host of magic spells and weapons. Simply put, it may look like a kids game, but it sure doesn’t play like one.

Mini Ninjas

The game starts in the village of Ninja Mountain, where all of the most qualified ninjas have left, and not returned after investigating mysterious figures that were capturing woodland creatures. You play as the last ninja left in town, Hiro, who also appears to be the first member of the tribe in many years with the skills to harness Kuji magic. So, after a crash course in perfecting your skills you are sent out to save your friends, and take down the Evil Samurai Warlord, who has thrown off the balance of nature. It’s a large task for such a mini warrior.

The basic gameplay is extremely simple, with attack and stun on the X and Y buttons respectively, with X being your jump button. They’re your main course of attack, but they are far from your only options. Your right trigger allows you to use a secondary attack, weapon, or spell (as long as you’re playing as Hiro), which can be selected on the fly from a mini-menu using RB. The LB allows you to change your characters, as long as you have unlocked them. By the end of the game, there are six different playable characters, each with their own skills that you need to use to defeat enemies or solve certain puzzles. Each character also has their own special attack that can be activated by holding Y, which can usually help you take out large groups of enemies, and they range from exploding arrows to entrancing your attackers and making them dance. There’s something for everyone in this game no matter how you play, whether you like heavy hand-to-hand attacks, stealth, or long ranged attacks, there’s a character that will suit you, but you’ll always end up coming back to Hiro.

Mini Ninjas

Hiro’s Kuji magic skills are what make him the standout character in the game. As you progress through the game, you’ll find shrines that unlock additional skills that only Hiro can take advantage of, making him the most powerful character. The attacks may be fairly standard – lightning, fireballs, wind, etc – but the “Mini Ninjas”’ inclusion and implementation are both smooth and fun.

The game’s graphics also keep with the “mini” style of the game; attractive, but kid-friendly. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the game’s art style, as it hits the exact audience that the game is targeted at, kids smart enough to know what’s going on, and adults that are really still kids on the inside. The environments tend to be a little repetitive early on in the game, where you spend most of your time wondering around forests, but as you progress, Hiro’s adventure will take him to a number of different locations.

Mini Ninjas

There’s really only a handful of downsides to “Mini Ninjas,” and if you can get past what the game looks like, and the simplicity of its controls (both of which could actually be upsides for you) then you’re likely to find a game that virtually anyone can enjoy… as long as your mind is open enough to want to play a game staring tiny ninjas (and really who doesn’t).

Rating:

“Mini Ninjas” was developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii, PC and DS on September 8, 2009. This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game.