One of the creative minds behind Castles in Sky in now back
with a frantic mixture of nazi robots,
spikes and ninjas. The lose plot revolves around a robot Hitler and a ninja having
to destroy robots with a big sword. It’s not likely to win best screenplay but
then sometimes you just want to jump around and hit things.
A platform game mixed with a heavy puzzle element, the main
gameplay gimmick is that you only have ten second with which to complete each stage.
The timer only starts after you make your first move which means you can spend
some time surveying the single screen style levels in an attempt to work out
the best route to victory.
Your Ninja has a couple of skills to help along the way. You
can use three shurikens in each level and also double jump. You’ll need to work
out the best enemies to hit with throwing stars in advance as it can be the difference
between victory and defeat if you use them in the wrong place. Shurikens can
also be used to set off icicle falls, which in turn can crush robots for you.
You’ll need to complete levels as quickly as possible as
well as you're awarded between one to three stars upon completion. You’ll
start out completely mystified as to how you get the two or three star
ratings but as you progress it all becomes clearer. Getting three stars on
levels does require almost Jedi like reflexes though.
The levels themselves are a mixture of floating platforms,
spikes and collapsing stones. More obstacles and enemies are added as the game
progresses and you also have to contend with some good old fashioned ice stages
as well. Everything is there for a reason and that reason is for you to plan
your assault and deal with the robots as quickly as possible.
The star system does create a problem however, as you are
required to collect a certain amount before taking on each areas boss. In our
view the requirement is set a touch too high and we can see players hitting a
complete dead end at times. In a game all about speed and momentum the need to better
a high score and get higher amounts of stars is high enough without the enforced
star barrier at the end of each level. It’s about the only misstep in what is a
compact and focused game.
The boss fights themselves have the same ten second time
limit and you also have your shurikens removed. They prove to be good
fun and not a massive stumbling block to progression. They are simply designed
as a different sort of puzzle to work out and work well to break up the regular
levels.
Overall, 10 Second Ninja is a strong debut for the
developer. There’s a hints of Kung Fu Rabbit and N+ (among other things), but the
game also has its own distinct personality. It’s a fast, slick and fun game and
one that will provide bite sized chunks of twitch gameplay. It achieves pretty much
everything it sets out to and is certainly a game that we’ll come back to again
and again.
Overall 8/10
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