'Mini Ninjas' is too adorable
This game doesn't require any gratuitous gore.
Published Sept. 18, 2009
Ninjas are the quintessential masters of ending lives; Godzilla ain't got nothing on them. Filling their shoes is similar to being a garbage man — it's messy, you have to get your hands dirty and encountering severed body parts is part of the territory.
"Mini Ninjas" offers up a different experience than its masked brethren that takes ninja-kind in a bold new direction. There won't be any limb counting (Ryu Hayabusa's hobby) or giant robot calling by way of conch shell (thank you, "Mystical Ninja") on this adventure.
Some elements of stealth tactics are present, but they're not always vital to success. It's more based on über cuteness and strangely similar voice acting, but it gets the job done.
It must sound lame at a glance, but bear with me.
Did I mention you get to use your hat as a boat? Unfortunately, hat-boats (or boat-hats?) are surprisingly hard to steer when you're barreling down rapids that lead to a waterfall. It's a good idea to learn though because apparently someone planned feudal Japan with water routes in mind as main modes of transportation.
On the surface, it looks like a remedial action game that just happens to be about ninjas. If you look past the overtly kiddy appeal, "Mini Ninjas" can put you in a wildly entertaining world of incompetent enemies and anthropomorphic birds.
It's not about the story, dialogue or characters (wow, that's a lot to give up); it's about the presentation. Chopping up an adorably evil samurai with equally adorable ninjas is too adorable to say adorable anymore.
Making those little guys go poof will give you an almost-sadistic smile that acts as one of the best reasons to play the game.
Pulling off slick moves on your dim-witted prey is easy and satisfying. Plus, who doesn't like freeing wee little squirrels and bunnies through excessive violence? It's like "Sonic the Hedgehog" if Sonic were a ninja (which he basically is) and had an obsession with elemental magic (chaos emeralds, anyone?).
The main story is a delightful romp through lush bamboo forests and meager countryside while collecting the rest of your ninja bunch (unfortunately, none of them are teenagers, mutants or turtles). It isn't difficult to finish one of the many levels and there isn't a lot of depth to the story, but finding every Jizu statue and flower can be an arduous task for even the most obsessive-compulsive shinobi.
At the very least, killing evil animal-imprisoning samurai is enough to make anybody feel fulfilled, and at its most extreme it could make you a philotherian. With so much happiness and love — by way of murder, lest we forget — toward furry critters, it's a wonder why PETA hasn't publicly endorsed the game.
Anybody should be able to jump into "Mini Ninjas" and have a go. It's far from a perfect experience, but the adventure is fun and entertaining, so it's OK. The game is a neat little package of killing and happiness (one and the same for a ninja) that a person of any skill level could play and enjoy because of its artistic style and simple controls.
Is it the best action game utilizing ninjas? I really hope not, but it's definitely the cutest (sorry, "Ninjatown"). It depends on how much you endorse the idea of ninjas being huggable.
