Ninja Throw

Tapping into the destructive impulses and lust for exotic weaponry of a generation that grew up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ninja Throw is a game that has you chucking deadly throwing-stars around with abandon.

In other words, it’s the iOS equivalent of an irresponsible but awesome uncle, giving you a target to aim for and asking you to throw pointy projectiles at it, with little to no regard for your personal safety or what your parents might have to say about it.

In each level you plot a trajectory and then tap your tiny assassin to unleash a shuriken at the target. Should your aim prove true, you’re awarded one to three stars based on how long you took and how many of the precious ninja stars you squandered before you sunk one into the target.

This isn’t a friendly round of Ninja Darts, though, so you’ll rarely see a clear path to your target - all manner of objects and obstacles shield them from direct attack. Since you can only throw in a straight line, you’ll have to make smart use of the game's ‘elements’ in order to hit your mark.

There are three such elements - red and yellow meditating sensei respectively repel and attract your projectiles, while an anthropomorphic cloud blows them in a straight line.

Introducing these elements one at a time, Ninja Throw HD steadily teaches you how to swerve your projectiles around obstacles, first with elements that are fixed in the level and then with elements that you can place at will.

The game has a generous difficulty curve that lets you get to grips with the way elements affect your throws. Unfortunately, at times it veers on being a bit too generous.

Getting three-stars on each level always depends more on persistence than skill, as you zero-in on the proper throwing trajectory with repeated tries. The later levels rely particularly heavily on this, with overly complex stages requiring simple trial-and-error rather than ability or insight.

Control is a recurring problem in Ninja Throw HD, and the game has a nasty habit of misreading your inputs. Tapping your ninja to have him throw a shuriken often sees the game redraw your throwing trajectory instead, and on the busier levels you’ll often find that the game struggles to accurately detect which element you’re trying to reposition.

These problems really start to grate later on in the game, as puzzles rely on multiple moveable elements interacting with each other. When the game misinterprets your input and ruins your best guess at a solution, it can make you grind your teeth.

So, there are certainly irritations, but Ninja Throw HD is fundamentally solid. Brief, well-designed levels coupled with the tried-and-tested three-star scoring system make for a compelling game.

With only three elemental puzzle-solutions to experiment with, it can sometimes feel a little undernourished, but as it stands Ninja Throw HD is undoubtedly a fun diversion. With a few judicious content updates and fixes, it could even be a (pointy) star attraction.