Late last month, there was a game released called Ninja Warrior, the spiritual game relation to the Japanese TV Show of the same name. The TV show features a cast of incredibly fit and physically able contestants all aiming to attain the title of Ninja Warrior by completing superhuman tasks, usually in the form of an insane obstacle course. The Ninja Warrior game aims to replicate this in mobile game form.
At its heart, the Ninja Warrior game is a game about parkour, much like Vector. You’ll acquire a personal avatar whom you will be able to customize as you please (more on that later) and complete in time trail-based obstacle courses. The game features singleplayer, multiplayer and even special day events which give you the chance to compete for prizes. As you progress, you will unlock more of the game as well as unlocking more accessories.
Ninja Warrior focusses very heavily on the customization of your ninja avatar will a whole host of accessories that you can adorn on your ninja likeness which you can procure from playing the singleplayer, participating in events, or of course, purchasing in-game currency in the form of gems. Gems typically speed things along in the game if you are impatient and want something to unlock quicker. The gold coins on the other hand purchase in-game things like power-ups and other accessories. Power-ups can potentially be integral to your efforts in-game as it can be the difference between a blistering time and a pedestrian one.
The gameplay itself as mentioned earlier is akin to Vector in the way that it utilizes touch gestures to control your running avatar i.e. using a horizontal swipe to vault obstacles and a down swipe to slide under an overhanging ledge. It’s a nice intuitive way to handle parkour controls and for the most part works well within the theme of the game. The controls are a little clunky, however, and several times my character would be either be delayed in starting his action, or still be in a previous action and not be able to start the next one. This can end up a little frustrating, particularly when your aim is to get the quickest time on each stage. But who said frustration isn’t a good thing in some games? There are also additional game types that instead have you trying to collect as many gold coins before time runs out, really putting your ninja honed skills to the test.
The graphics of Ninja Warrior are a mixed bag; your ninja avatars are wonderfully detailed, particularly wearing some of the fantastical outfits you can acquire, and they transfer well in-game  as well. The levels themselves however look dated and can be a bit jarring to look at. Though, if you have time to look at the scenery for too long, you’re probably playing the game incorrectly.
The game adds a little depth to itself with several menus like “Enhance” which allows you to combine acquired items together to ‘enhance’ your avatar’s performance; this again puts the emphasis on the items in the game. The items are as much a part of the game as the actual parkour levels and so long as that’s your cup of tea, you’ll enjoy this game.
The Ninja Warrior game is a nice tribute to its TV show inspiration, but stops short of capturing the essence of it; instead it focusses on the social and customization aspects of the game, which it emphasizes heavily. If that’s your type of game, then the $1.99 price of admission will be well spent. Now, time for some of you to become Ninja Warriors…
Game: Ninja Warrior Game
Price: $1.99
