Game Reviews

Ninja Warrior Game

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Ninja Warrior Game

Ninja Warrior - or Sasuke - is one of the most celebrated and punishing competitive sports shows to find its way to television.

It combines elements of the World's Strongest Man competition with an obstacle course that would test the agility of a superhero - so its potential as the basis for an exciting and challenging game is pretty high.

Unfortunately, this potential is never realised in Ninja Warrior Game, and after a few rounds you're left feeling as frustrated as someone who just face-planted her way off the spiderclimb.

Mind the gap

At its core, Ninja Warrior Game is a platformer with firm autorunner roots.

You dash into a given level and you won't stop until you run into a wall. Or giant tree branch. Or a rather dangerous-looking pit of spikes that - for obvious reasons - was omitted from the TV broadcast.

There are plenty of obstacles to negotiate your way around, and Ninja Warrior Game gives you a couple of basic manoeuvres to try out when you sprint up to one. If you can't vault over a branch safely, you can try executing a running slide to slip under it, or swipe upwards quickly to try jumping over it instead.

The controls are intuitive and responsive, which is exactly what you'd expect from a game based on an event designed to test your reflexes.

Falls flat

Sadly, Ninja Warrior Game can't help but trip over its own two feet as it stumbles toward the goal.

Endless loading loops and heavy animation lag are all too frequent problems to deal with, and the physics engine is a bit finicky in how it chooses to respond your choices.

Sometimes a light swipe for a jump will send you sailing past your intended platforms, while at other times a heavy, pronounced flick will send you dribbling off the edge of a platform.

Add to these issues a rather same-y feel to each level and Ninja Warrior Game never really achieves that "one more go" appeal that autorunners live and die by.

Were it a freemium game these gaffes could possibly be forgiven - but for £1.49 / $1.99 you have a right to expect a more polished product.

Ninja Warrior Game

Enjoyable in short bursts, Ninja Warrior Game struggles to clear the first obstacle and likely won't advance to later rounds
Score
Matthew Diener
Matthew Diener
Representing the former colonies, Matt keeps the Pocket Gamer news feed updated when sleepy Europeans are sleeping. As a frustrated journalist, diehard gamer and recovering MMO addict, this is pretty much his dream job.