...the little bloke with the big sword did it... (Mini Ninjas (PS3))

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Mini Ninjas (PS3)
Date:	28/10/09 (140 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A variety of gameplay styles keeps things fresh

Disadvantages: Occasionally repeated scenery

The words 'cute' and 'fighting' don't usually sit easily together in the same sentence - but 'Mini Ninjas' on the Playstation 3 is undoubtedly a "cute fighting game".

The story has been heard countless times before in martial arts films throughout the years, and the plot is actually rather similar to the Dreamworks animated movie 'Kung Fu Panda'. Basically, the player controls 'Hiro' - a rather small ninja who is on a quest to defeat the imaginatively titled 'Evil Samurai Warlord'. Along the way, you must rescue your five ninja friends; Futo, Suzame, Shun, Tora, and Kunoichi, who have been trapped by the game's main villain. As you locate each of your captured allies, you can choose to transform into them and utilise their individual abilities - the chunky Futo, for example, can be called upon to open heavy doors which Hiro would not be able to get through on his own. It's a clever system which adds a bit of variety to proceedings. Hiro is generally the best of the characters however, and has mastery over 'Kuji magic' which can be used as a powerful weapon against enemies. The use of the magic arguably forms the most interesting part of the game, and it can also be very entertaining at times too. With the 'Spirit Form' spell for example, you can leap into the body of any creature which you find in the game, and bears, wolves, pandas, frogs, cats and even chickens, can be used to spook the bad guys. Other more destructive spells include the fireball, and the deadly tornado, which can be deployed to wreak havoc from a safe distance.

As well as the spells, the game has a number of other cool touches and humourous features which keeps the gameplay ticking over nicely. Jump into the water and press the right thumbstick for example, and your character's hat transforms into a boat which you can paddle around in - wahay!

The levels themselves are fairly linear in design, but cleverly allow you to wander off the beaten track in order to explore the surrounding area. This gives you a sense of freedom - even though if you take an alternative route, you'll undoubtedly end up at the same place.

Throughout the gaming environment there are plants and herbs which can be picked, allowing the player to mix a variety of potions for personal use. Some of these potions create health-drinks to restore your life - although that's not the only way of getting energy in the game. Catching fish from the comfort of your hat-boat will also allow to gain health points, or you can bang on a tree and dislodge the apples or berries which sit in its branches.

Bring on the Baddies...

The computer controlled enemies are an entertaining bunch with varying levels of intelligence and bravery. Most baddies will try to get into a fight- but some will take one look at you, and run off screaming in the opposite direction! The fighting itself mostly takes the form of repetative button-bashing (which does start to get a wee bit boring after a while), however, if you do get fed up of attack after attack, you can employ stealth, and sneak past enemies whilst in the long grass.

Mini Ninjas features a selection of end level bosses which provide a bit of variety and give the player a break from the controller mashing nature of attack which I mentioned in the previous paragraph. One particular boss uses the power of flatulence in an attempt to defeat you... which is entertaining to say the least.

Pretty as a Picture

Graphically, the game is well presented, with appealing bold characters and backdrops. Some of the oriental settings, which allow you to see far into the distance, are quite stunning, and the fog and rain weather effects are really well handled. On the downside, the textures are of a fairly low resolution, and some of the environments are 'recycled' from level to level, meaning that a few of the later settings look rather similar to those encountered early on in the game.

On the whole, the gameplay of Mini Ninjas is rather easy, and probably won't be that much of a challenge for more experienced gamers - that said, there are three difficulty levels - of which, I would recommend going straight for the hardest.

Unfortunately, Mini Ninjas doesn't have that many extra features, and there is no multiplayer mode. This is a bit of a shame really, as co-operative gameplay would have certainly worked nicely. Similarly, the online modes are none-existent, and it's rare to see a title nowadays with so little extras.

All in all, Mini Ninjas is an entertaining and fun game which will provide the average player with a few hours of solid enjoyment. Where it falls a bit short is in the attention to detail - for example, not all of the in-game objects are destructible, and the enemies are all rather similar in appearance. However, there are enough nice touches to create an enjoyable gaming experience, and I feel that four dooyoo stars are just reward for such a solid effort.

You can currently purchase Mini Ninjas on the Playstation 3 for £21.65 from Amazon.

Summary: Fun and engaging 3rd person adventure game