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Pocket Ninjas: Unleash the Inner Ninja

05/15/2012
Posted by JP Mata
Posted in Reviews

Always wanted to be a ninja but don’t have the skills, the swagger or even the money to do so?

Pocket Ninjas is an arcade game available on iOS devices published by the people of Cocky Culture.

You play as noob ninja trying to the defend the sacred ninja lair from enemies, while avoiding grenades, shurikens, bad sushi and accidentally slashing geishas. And how do you do that exactly?

Imma bad ninja. T_T *noob*

Much like Fruit Ninja, you swipe at the screen to attack your enemies, get bonuses, deflect shurikens (yes, you can deflect them), and even navigate with buttons.

The game offers three modes: Classic, Arcade and Shuriken Showdown.

In Classic, you defend your ninja lair against wave after wave of enemies by slicing, chopping and decapitating through them, while still trying to maintain your cool and not have three strikes. Getting strikes occurs when you fail to cut through enemies, or have been hit by bombs and shurikens.

Ninja made a boo boo.... lots of it!

Arcade is all about survival, slashing through as much enemies as you can within 60 seconds, while avoiding bombs and shurikens. Once you get hit, the game ends.

Ninja Chop!

Shuriken Showdown is an entirely different thing, on the other hand. You deflect as many shurikens as you can while trying not to get hit. Yes, deflect shurikens! A feature that I was not aware of until I unlocked the mode. A very challenging and unique mode indeed.

Because taking a screenie and deflecting a shuriken

is too much for a noob ninja like me.

After each game, you are awarded with coins, because ninja gear ain’t gonna pay for itself.

Coins!!!

Though I wonder where they sell the heads and limbs of those I’ve killed.

Yes, NINJA GEAR! Because, after a long hard day of bloodshed, ninjas must improve themselves with better blades and armor, that not only give them the upper hand but also may allow them to have special ninja abilities.

And ninjas, as badass as they are, still want to look pretty... AWESOME!

Players can change their look, armor and weapons.

I... am... gonna... KILL... BILL...

Graphics: 4/5

The character graphics and animations are awesome. Every move, slice and hit is greatly animated. And I love how you can fly through the air and slice up the baddies and it looking as so.

Being a fan of gore and macabre movies, I love how they have the right amount of blood and violence. Each strike produces a splash of blood that sloshes on the floor and splatters on the walls. Limbs and heads are cut off the victims and sometimes disintegrate into bits if you get mad with ninja fury! AWESOME!

WHERE’S BILL!!!

I would have preferred for the dojo invaders to be a bit animated though: an attack animation, a “going to hiya!” pose or something to make them feel less like they jumped off trampolines outside the screen and did a magnificent pose.

Audio: 4/5

Seeing that I’m obviously making Kill Bill references, remember the music at that part when “The Bride” was in Japan chasing after O-Ren Ishii? The audio in this game is reminiscent of that, except more soothing and somehow still wants to make you chop someone’s arms off. I would have preferred a more upbeat fast-paced background though, just so I can really bring on the beatdown to those dirty dojo defilers.

Fun Factor: 5/5

At first, I was like, “this is game is impossible”, “it’s too hard”, “why does the shuriken keep hitting me”. But I remembered that the path to a true samurai ninja is not paved with sushi and sashimi, but with hard work, dedication and fetching of water that involves a ridiculously long flight of stairs.

You reap what you sow. Or in this case you get coins of the limbs and heads that try to mess up your ninja beauty sleep.

Move geisha! Me hunting baddies!

The challenges that this game provides serve as a motivation to players to do more and be better, which also shows how satisfying this game can be once you’ve overcome them.

Also with the various modes, unlocks and gears to try on, the game has a lot of opportunities for fun.

Replayability: 5/5

As I said earlier, “Do more and be better”.

The game is highly replayable due to the incessant need to beat your own high score (or someone else’s that tried to play the game themselves), get the gear you want and be the best ninja you can be.

I have my eye on a red katana, so give me yo head!

Overall: 5/5

All in all, this game is AWESOME. A must try for those hack and slash enthusiasts, casual gamers who want to blow some steam off, and for those would-be ninjas in training.

So head on out to the App Store, get your own Pocket Ninjas, and start your own ninja mayhem, TODAY!

If you’ll excuse me....

… I’ve got some exterminating to do

(Source: Wikipedia)