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Mini Ninjas Review
For reviewing purposes, the Playstation 3 version of the game was used
Mini Mini Ninjaaaa!
Mini Ninjas was a game that emerged in trailer form around the time I was reminiscing about the old Spyro The Dragon games, the Insomniac created trilogy for PS1 (aka the good ones), and cursing the drought of decent childish platforming games that the industry appeared to be in for many years previous. The thought that this might be a throw back to that era at the time excited me, and besides, who can resist cute little ninjas?
Released by IO Interactive in September 2009 on most platforms, Mini Ninjas follows Hiro, a young trainee ninja, as he attempts to defeat the Evil Samurai Warlord, restore peace to the lands and find his ninja friends who had been sent before him and had gone missing along the way. Along the way you will encounter many brainless samurai created through a combination of Kuji magic and cute, fluffy animals .
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Ninja
Mini Ninjas combines the gameplay elements of stealth, platforming and combat together to make it slightly more diverse than perhaps some other games in the genre have been in the past. The stealth element is one that is absolutely necessary for a quasi-realistic depiction of ninjas, as Hiro can sneak in long grass, between bushes or along rooftops. It does work well in places, allowing the player to bypass enemies, or to attack samurai from hidden places for a much larger damage. However, unfortunately, it’s usage is rather limited, and it would have been nice to be able to go through more of the levels undetected, in true ninja style.
The platforming part of the game is rather simplistic, and generally just involves chimney jumping up to higher ledges, wall running, or jumping between sections. Again, it works fairly well most of the time, although the wall running mechanic can be a bit of a pain to activate, it’s a problem, but doesn’t happen often enough to detract from the overall playing experience.
There are also levels in which the gameplay is changed into more of a mini-game. These levels involve you either rafting or snowboarding in your comically large hat, which is a nice change of pace and the levels play fairly well, provided you can control yourself, otherwise they deteriorate into more annoying chores than the fun side-game.
However, the majority of the game is really spent on combating the samurai which you are faced with almost constantly, and this is where the game has most of it’s problem. Combat is extremely repetitive, as for close combat, you are left with the choice of attack, stun attack, or special attack (that drains a sphere of unstable ki energy), which generally means that normal battles end up as a button mashing mess. This becomes less of a problem as the game progresses, and new enemies are introduced, forcing a hint of strategy about tackling them.
Stop! Futo Time!
Another thing which helps combat a monotonous combat system is Hiro’s ninja friends which you find and free throughout the game. Starting with Futo, a large, hammer wielding ninja, you are able to instantaneously switch between the different ninjas which you have saved, allowing you different abilities and fighting styles, each of which is more effective against different types of enemy. For example, the larger samurai are much easier to deal with when using Futo.
Combat isn’t much better when fighting the bosses, either. Although there generally is a slight change in how you have to approach boss fights, they generally turn into quick time events. To be honest, the quick time events do allow for the battles with bosses to be different and make a little more sense, but at the same time, quick time events are rarely an ideal way of doing anything.
Sonic Boom!
Although I mentioned that Kuji magic had been used by the Evil Samurai Warlord to form the samurai armies that Hiro faces throughout the game, not all Kuji magic is bad. In fact, Hiro can also use many Kuji magic spells as well. Hiro’s Kuji magic can help him in his quest in a number of ways, from combat, to stealth, and ranges from the lightweight Fireball to the destructive Meteor Storm.
But, you do have to find them first. Kuji magic is hidden within shrines throughout the game, and whilst they are generally off the beaten track, the glowing fireflies that accumulate on the path to a shrine tend to make the paths fairly obvious. Once you’ve found the shrine, you also need to give an offering of Anemone before you can receive the spell, although again they’re generally found extremely nearby.
Where are the Nin-jars?
Even when you’re not looking for shrines, coming away from the linear path to explore the landscape can be a rewarding experience. The world of Mini Ninjas is filled with collectibles and other things to do besides following the linear story path. Each level has a number of Jizo statues hidden around the place. There isn’t any real benefit or reward for doing this (unless you count trophies/achievements) but is there to add a little bit of exploration to proceedings, and a bit of extra replayability for the completists out there.
Other than Jizo statues, Mini Ninjas also has other collectables which it keeps track of per level. Caged animals will appear throughout most levels, which Hiro can release by attacking the cage until it is broken. There are also a number of coins available to collect in each level. Coins are carried over level to level, so you can use them when coming across Tengu.
You’ve Been Tengu’d
Along the journey, you will run into Tengu, bird-like ninja masters who intend to help you on your quest. They will either be in the open world, where they will ask you to find them something, or up in one of the Tengu Temples. Tengu Temples allow you to spend the coins that you have collected on your travels on throwing weapons like shurikens or on recipes to make potions. Potions require you to collect certain plants to combine together. As some plants are only available in some regions of the game, it is a good idea to collect as many as possible as you progress if you wish to take advantage of the potions.
Student to Master
To add a little bit of depth into Mini Ninja’s mechanic, there is a levelling up system. As Hiro defeats samurai and releases animals from their cages, little yellow-orange spheres will appear. Collecting these give Hiro experience, and as he levels up he becomes more powerful. For example, gaining more stamina, or being able to possess small samurai with the spirit form spell, instead of animals only. Again, it is a simple addition, but one that adds to the game immensely.
Feeling Flutey
Where Mini Ninjas truly excels is in the visuals and audio department. IO Interactive have managed to do an extremely good job of cartoonifying feudal Japan without losing too much of the details or the impact. Vast green fields, bamboo forests, snow covered mountains and waterlogged rice fields are just some of the scenes that Hiro and his friends travel through. It screams the stereotypical thoughts and depictions of that area and that era, and, combined with the calming flutes and banging drums, adds a sense of atmosphere to a type of game in which it is generally ignored.
Conclusions
Mini Ninjas is a game which is quite fun and cute if you can get past the repetitiveness of the combat, and does extremely well with it’s cartoon style. It’s hardly going to tax the hardened or experienced gamers, but it’s well on the relaxing side of the spectrum, and that’s what you’d expect from a game geared more towards children. Having said that, I think that it’s appeal spans beyond that of children. If you are looking for a challenging Ninja game, go Gaiden. If you’re happier with a cutesy art style and a more relaxing game, go Mini.
Rating: 7.7/10
For reviewing purposes, the Playstation 3 version of the game was used
Mini Mini Ninjaaaa!
Mini Ninjas was a game that emerged in trailer form around the time I was reminiscing about the old Spyro The Dragon games, the Insomniac created trilogy for PS1 (aka the good ones), and cursing the drought of decent childish platforming games that the industry appeared to be in for many years previous. The thought that this might be a throw back to that era at the time excited me, and besides, who can resist cute little ninjas?
Released by IO Interactive in September 2009 on most platforms, Mini Ninjas follows Hiro, a young trainee ninja, as he attempts to defeat the Evil Samurai Warlord, restore peace to the lands and find his ninja friends who had been sent before him and had gone missing along the way. Along the way you will encounter many brainless samurai created through a combination of Kuji magic and cute, fluffy animals .
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Ninja
Mini Ninjas combines the gameplay elements of stealth, platforming and combat together to make it slightly more diverse than perhaps some other games in the genre have been in the past. The stealth element is one that is absolutely necessary for a quasi-realistic depiction of ninjas, as Hiro can sneak in long grass, between bushes or along rooftops. It does work well in places, allowing the player to bypass enemies, or to attack samurai from hidden places for a much larger damage. However, unfortunately, it’s usage is rather limited, and it would have been nice to be able to go through more of the levels undetected, in true ninja style.
The platforming part of the game is rather simplistic, and generally just involves chimney jumping up to higher ledges, wall running, or jumping between sections. Again, it works fairly well most of the time, although the wall running mechanic can be a bit of a pain to activate, it’s a problem, but doesn’t happen often enough to detract from the overall playing experience.
There are also levels in which the gameplay is changed into more of a mini-game. These levels involve you either rafting or snowboarding in your comically large hat, which is a nice change of pace and the levels play fairly well, provided you can control yourself, otherwise they deteriorate into more annoying chores than the fun side-game.
However, the majority of the game is really spent on combating the samurai which you are faced with almost constantly, and this is where the game has most of it’s problem. Combat is extremely repetitive, as for close combat, you are left with the choice of attack, stun attack, or special attack (that drains a sphere of unstable ki energy), which generally means that normal battles end up as a button mashing mess. This becomes less of a problem as the game progresses, and new enemies are introduced, forcing a hint of strategy about tackling them.
Stop! Futo Time!
Another thing which helps combat a monotonous combat system is Hiro’s ninja friends which you find and free throughout the game. Starting with Futo, a large, hammer wielding ninja, you are able to instantaneously switch between the different ninjas which you have saved, allowing you different abilities and fighting styles, each of which is more effective against different types of enemy. For example, the larger samurai are much easier to deal with when using Futo.
Combat isn’t much better when fighting the bosses, either. Although there generally is a slight change in how you have to approach boss fights, they generally turn into quick time events. To be honest, the quick time events do allow for the battles with bosses to be different and make a little more sense, but at the same time, quick time events are rarely an ideal way of doing anything.
Sonic Boom!
Although I mentioned that Kuji magic had been used by the Evil Samurai Warlord to form the samurai armies that Hiro faces throughout the game, not all Kuji magic is bad. In fact, Hiro can also use many Kuji magic spells as well. Hiro’s Kuji magic can help him in his quest in a number of ways, from combat, to stealth, and ranges from the lightweight Fireball to the destructive Meteor Storm.
But, you do have to find them first. Kuji magic is hidden within shrines throughout the game, and whilst they are generally off the beaten track, the glowing fireflies that accumulate on the path to a shrine tend to make the paths fairly obvious. Once you’ve found the shrine, you also need to give an offering of Anemone before you can receive the spell, although again they’re generally found extremely nearby.
Where are the Nin-jars?
Even when you’re not looking for shrines, coming away from the linear path to explore the landscape can be a rewarding experience. The world of Mini Ninjas is filled with collectibles and other things to do besides following the linear story path. Each level has a number of Jizo statues hidden around the place. There isn’t any real benefit or reward for doing this (unless you count trophies/achievements) but is there to add a little bit of exploration to proceedings, and a bit of extra replayability for the completists out there.
Other than Jizo statues, Mini Ninjas also has other collectables which it keeps track of per level. Caged animals will appear throughout most levels, which Hiro can release by attacking the cage until it is broken. There are also a number of coins available to collect in each level. Coins are carried over level to level, so you can use them when coming across Tengu.
You’ve Been Tengu’d
Along the journey, you will run into Tengu, bird-like ninja masters who intend to help you on your quest. They will either be in the open world, where they will ask you to find them something, or up in one of the Tengu Temples. Tengu Temples allow you to spend the coins that you have collected on your travels on throwing weapons like shurikens or on recipes to make potions. Potions require you to collect certain plants to combine together. As some plants are only available in some regions of the game, it is a good idea to collect as many as possible as you progress if you wish to take advantage of the potions.
Student to Master
To add a little bit of depth into Mini Ninja’s mechanic, there is a levelling up system. As Hiro defeats samurai and releases animals from their cages, little yellow-orange spheres will appear. Collecting these give Hiro experience, and as he levels up he becomes more powerful. For example, gaining more stamina, or being able to possess small samurai with the spirit form spell, instead of animals only. Again, it is a simple addition, but one that adds to the game immensely.
Feeling Flutey
Where Mini Ninjas truly excels is in the visuals and audio department. IO Interactive have managed to do an extremely good job of cartoonifying feudal Japan without losing too much of the details or the impact. Vast green fields, bamboo forests, snow covered mountains and waterlogged rice fields are just some of the scenes that Hiro and his friends travel through. It screams the stereotypical thoughts and depictions of that area and that era, and, combined with the calming flutes and banging drums, adds a sense of atmosphere to a type of game in which it is generally ignored.
Conclusions
Mini Ninjas is a game which is quite fun and cute if you can get past the repetitiveness of the combat, and does extremely well with it’s cartoon style. It’s hardly going to tax the hardened or experienced gamers, but it’s well on the relaxing side of the spectrum, and that’s what you’d expect from a game geared more towards children. Having said that, I think that it’s appeal spans beyond that of children. If you are looking for a challenging Ninja game, go Gaiden. If you’re happier with a cutesy art style and a more relaxing game, go Mini.
Rating: 7.7/10
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Mini Ninjas Review
For reviewing purposes, the Playstation 3 version of the game was used
Mini Mini Ninjaaaa!
Mini Ninjas was a game that emerged in trailer form around the time I was reminiscing about the old Spyro The Dragon games, the Insomniac created trilogy for PS1 (aka the good ones), and cursing the drought of decent childish platforming games that the industry appeared to be in for many years previous. The thought that this might be a throw back to that era at the time excited me, and besides, who can resist cute little ninjas?
Released by IO Interactive in September 2009 on most platforms, Mini Ninjas follows Hiro, a young trainee ninja, as he attempts to defeat the Evil Samurai Warlord, restore peace to the lands and find his ninja friends who had been sent before him and had gone missing along the way. Along the way you will encounter many brainless samurai created through a combination of Kuji magic and cute, fluffy animals .
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Ninja
Mini Ninjas combines the gameplay elements of stealth, platforming and combat together to make it slightly more diverse than perhaps some other games in the genre have been in the past. The stealth element is one that is absolutely necessary for a quasi-realistic depiction of ninjas, as Hiro can sneak in long grass, between bushes or along rooftops. It does work well in places, allowing the player to bypass enemies, or to attack samurai from hidden places for a much larger damage. However, unfortunately, it’s usage is rather limited, and it would have been nice to be able to go through more of the levels undetected, in true ninja style.
The platforming part of the game is rather simplistic, and generally just involves chimney jumping up to higher ledges, wall running, or jumping between sections. Again, it works fairly well most of the time, although the wall running mechanic can be a bit of a pain to activate, it’s a problem, but doesn’t happen often enough to detract from the overall playing experience.
There are also levels in which the gameplay is changed into more of a mini-game. These levels involve you either rafting or snowboarding in your comically large hat, which is a nice change of pace and the levels play fairly well, provided you can control yourself, otherwise they deteriorate into more annoying chores than the fun side-game.
However, the majority of the game is really spent on combating the samurai which you are faced with almost constantly, and this is where the game has most of it’s problem. Combat is extremely repetitive, as for close combat, you are left with the choice of attack, stun attack, or special attack (that drains a sphere of unstable ki energy), which generally means that normal battles end up as a button mashing mess. This becomes less of a problem as the game progresses, and new enemies are introduced, forcing a hint of strategy about tackling them.
Stop! Futo Time!
Another thing which helps combat a monotonous combat system is Hiro’s ninja friends which you find and free throughout the game. Starting with Futo, a large, hammer wielding ninja, you are able to instantaneously switch between the different ninjas which you have saved, allowing you different abilities and fighting styles, each of which is more effective against different types of enemy. For example, the larger samurai are much easier to deal with when using Futo.
Combat isn’t much better when fighting the bosses, either. Although there generally is a slight change in how you have to approach boss fights, they generally turn into quick time events. To be honest, the quick time events do allow for the battles with bosses to be different and make a little more sense, but at the same time, quick time events are rarely an ideal way of doing anything.
Sonic Boom!
Although I mentioned that Kuji magic had been used by the Evil Samurai Warlord to form the samurai armies that Hiro faces throughout the game, not all Kuji magic is bad. In fact, Hiro can also use many Kuji magic spells as well. Hiro’s Kuji magic can help him in his quest in a number of ways, from combat, to stealth, and ranges from the lightweight Fireball to the destructive Meteor Storm.
But, you do have to find them first. Kuji magic is hidden within shrines throughout the game, and whilst they are generally off the beaten track, the glowing fireflies that accumulate on the path to a shrine tend to make the paths fairly obvious. Once you’ve found the shrine, you also need to give an offering of Anemone before you can receive the spell, although again they’re generally found extremely nearby.
Where are the Nin-jars?
Even when you’re not looking for shrines, coming away from the linear path to explore the landscape can be a rewarding experience. The world of Mini Ninjas is filled with collectibles and other things to do besides following the linear story path. Each level has a number of Jizo statues hidden around the place. There isn’t any real benefit or reward for doing this (unless you count trophies/achievements) but is there to add a little bit of exploration to proceedings, and a bit of extra replayability for the completists out there.
Other than Jizo statues, Mini Ninjas also has other collectables which it keeps track of per level. Caged animals will appear throughout most levels, which Hiro can release by attacking the cage until it is broken. There are also a number of coins available to collect in each level. Coins are carried over level to level, so you can use them when coming across Tengu.
You’ve Been Tengu’d
Along the journey, you will run into Tengu, bird-like ninja masters who intend to help you on your quest. They will either be in the open world, where they will ask you to find them something, or up in one of the Tengu Temples. Tengu Temples allow you to spend the coins that you have collected on your travels on throwing weapons like shurikens or on recipes to make potions. Potions require you to collect certain plants to combine together. As some plants are only available in some regions of the game, it is a good idea to collect as many as possible as you progress if you wish to take advantage of the potions.
Student to Master
To add a little bit of depth into Mini Ninja’s mechanic, there is a levelling up system. As Hiro defeats samurai and releases animals from their cages, little yellow-orange spheres will appear. Collecting these give Hiro experience, and as he levels up he becomes more powerful. For example, gaining more stamina, or being able to possess small samurai with the spirit form spell, instead of animals only. Again, it is a simple addition, but one that adds to the game immensely.
Feeling Flutey
Where Mini Ninjas truly excels is in the visuals and audio department. IO Interactive have managed to do an extremely good job of cartoonifying feudal Japan without losing too much of the details or the impact. Vast green fields, bamboo forests, snow covered mountains and waterlogged rice fields are just some of the scenes that Hiro and his friends travel through. It screams the stereotypical thoughts and depictions of that area and that era, and, combined with the calming flutes and banging drums, adds a sense of atmosphere to a type of game in which it is generally ignored.
Conclusions
Mini Ninjas is a game which is quite fun and cute if you can get past the repetitiveness of the combat, and does extremely well with it’s cartoon style. It’s hardly going to tax the hardened or experienced gamers, but it’s well on the relaxing side of the spectrum, and that’s what you’d expect from a game geared more towards children. Having said that, I think that it’s appeal spans beyond that of children. If you are looking for a challenging Ninja game, go Gaiden. If you’re happier with a cutesy art style and a more relaxing game, go Mini.
Rating: 7.7/10
For reviewing purposes, the Playstation 3 version of the game was used
Mini Mini Ninjaaaa!
Mini Ninjas was a game that emerged in trailer form around the time I was reminiscing about the old Spyro The Dragon games, the Insomniac created trilogy for PS1 (aka the good ones), and cursing the drought of decent childish platforming games that the industry appeared to be in for many years previous. The thought that this might be a throw back to that era at the time excited me, and besides, who can resist cute little ninjas?
Released by IO Interactive in September 2009 on most platforms, Mini Ninjas follows Hiro, a young trainee ninja, as he attempts to defeat the Evil Samurai Warlord, restore peace to the lands and find his ninja friends who had been sent before him and had gone missing along the way. Along the way you will encounter many brainless samurai created through a combination of Kuji magic and cute, fluffy animals .
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Ninja
Mini Ninjas combines the gameplay elements of stealth, platforming and combat together to make it slightly more diverse than perhaps some other games in the genre have been in the past. The stealth element is one that is absolutely necessary for a quasi-realistic depiction of ninjas, as Hiro can sneak in long grass, between bushes or along rooftops. It does work well in places, allowing the player to bypass enemies, or to attack samurai from hidden places for a much larger damage. However, unfortunately, it’s usage is rather limited, and it would have been nice to be able to go through more of the levels undetected, in true ninja style.
The platforming part of the game is rather simplistic, and generally just involves chimney jumping up to higher ledges, wall running, or jumping between sections. Again, it works fairly well most of the time, although the wall running mechanic can be a bit of a pain to activate, it’s a problem, but doesn’t happen often enough to detract from the overall playing experience.
There are also levels in which the gameplay is changed into more of a mini-game. These levels involve you either rafting or snowboarding in your comically large hat, which is a nice change of pace and the levels play fairly well, provided you can control yourself, otherwise they deteriorate into more annoying chores than the fun side-game.
However, the majority of the game is really spent on combating the samurai which you are faced with almost constantly, and this is where the game has most of it’s problem. Combat is extremely repetitive, as for close combat, you are left with the choice of attack, stun attack, or special attack (that drains a sphere of unstable ki energy), which generally means that normal battles end up as a button mashing mess. This becomes less of a problem as the game progresses, and new enemies are introduced, forcing a hint of strategy about tackling them.
Stop! Futo Time!
Another thing which helps combat a monotonous combat system is Hiro’s ninja friends which you find and free throughout the game. Starting with Futo, a large, hammer wielding ninja, you are able to instantaneously switch between the different ninjas which you have saved, allowing you different abilities and fighting styles, each of which is more effective against different types of enemy. For example, the larger samurai are much easier to deal with when using Futo.
Combat isn’t much better when fighting the bosses, either. Although there generally is a slight change in how you have to approach boss fights, they generally turn into quick time events. To be honest, the quick time events do allow for the battles with bosses to be different and make a little more sense, but at the same time, quick time events are rarely an ideal way of doing anything.
Sonic Boom!
Although I mentioned that Kuji magic had been used by the Evil Samurai Warlord to form the samurai armies that Hiro faces throughout the game, not all Kuji magic is bad. In fact, Hiro can also use many Kuji magic spells as well. Hiro’s Kuji magic can help him in his quest in a number of ways, from combat, to stealth, and ranges from the lightweight Fireball to the destructive Meteor Storm.
But, you do have to find them first. Kuji magic is hidden within shrines throughout the game, and whilst they are generally off the beaten track, the glowing fireflies that accumulate on the path to a shrine tend to make the paths fairly obvious. Once you’ve found the shrine, you also need to give an offering of Anemone before you can receive the spell, although again they’re generally found extremely nearby.
Where are the Nin-jars?
Even when you’re not looking for shrines, coming away from the linear path to explore the landscape can be a rewarding experience. The world of Mini Ninjas is filled with collectibles and other things to do besides following the linear story path. Each level has a number of Jizo statues hidden around the place. There isn’t any real benefit or reward for doing this (unless you count trophies/achievements) but is there to add a little bit of exploration to proceedings, and a bit of extra replayability for the completists out there.
Other than Jizo statues, Mini Ninjas also has other collectables which it keeps track of per level. Caged animals will appear throughout most levels, which Hiro can release by attacking the cage until it is broken. There are also a number of coins available to collect in each level. Coins are carried over level to level, so you can use them when coming across Tengu.
You’ve Been Tengu’d
Along the journey, you will run into Tengu, bird-like ninja masters who intend to help you on your quest. They will either be in the open world, where they will ask you to find them something, or up in one of the Tengu Temples. Tengu Temples allow you to spend the coins that you have collected on your travels on throwing weapons like shurikens or on recipes to make potions. Potions require you to collect certain plants to combine together. As some plants are only available in some regions of the game, it is a good idea to collect as many as possible as you progress if you wish to take advantage of the potions.
Student to Master
To add a little bit of depth into Mini Ninja’s mechanic, there is a levelling up system. As Hiro defeats samurai and releases animals from their cages, little yellow-orange spheres will appear. Collecting these give Hiro experience, and as he levels up he becomes more powerful. For example, gaining more stamina, or being able to possess small samurai with the spirit form spell, instead of animals only. Again, it is a simple addition, but one that adds to the game immensely.
Feeling Flutey
Where Mini Ninjas truly excels is in the visuals and audio department. IO Interactive have managed to do an extremely good job of cartoonifying feudal Japan without losing too much of the details or the impact. Vast green fields, bamboo forests, snow covered mountains and waterlogged rice fields are just some of the scenes that Hiro and his friends travel through. It screams the stereotypical thoughts and depictions of that area and that era, and, combined with the calming flutes and banging drums, adds a sense of atmosphere to a type of game in which it is generally ignored.
Conclusions
Mini Ninjas is a game which is quite fun and cute if you can get past the repetitiveness of the combat, and does extremely well with it’s cartoon style. It’s hardly going to tax the hardened or experienced gamers, but it’s well on the relaxing side of the spectrum, and that’s what you’d expect from a game geared more towards children. Having said that, I think that it’s appeal spans beyond that of children. If you are looking for a challenging Ninja game, go Gaiden. If you’re happier with a cutesy art style and a more relaxing game, go Mini.
Rating: 7.7/10