Written by James Nicolay
Title: Ninja Shodown
Developer: Bitmap Bureau
Publisher: Rising Star Games
Genre: Party-Game, Brawler
Price: $14.95
Also Available On: Steam, PS4, XB1
Ninja Shodown has the potential of being a really good multiplayer party game in the same vein as my most favorite indie local multiplayer of all time, Towerfall Ascension. But more than just living up to a certain expectation that I have and after playing the game with friends for about thirty minutes, Ninja Shodown still feels half-baked with limited modes available and the strange uneven pacing of your game character’s control movements. But at least, your ninja knows how to dab.
The narrative of Ninja Shodown is very easy to describe. You are a ninja tasked to protect a sacred katana. End of the narrative. There are no overworlds, no maps, no semblance of an ending to this story. You just kill enemies (in single player arcade and horde mode) and kill fellow ninjas (multiplayer mode). The killing is ridiculously fun and gory (though if you’re squeamish with blood, you can turn it off in the options tab). Lastly, no online mode and no story mode.
While it seems way too thin for a $14.99 game, the game could be fun in multiplayer mode. In short bursts of rounds, you throw shurikens, knives, and, strange for ninjas, fire some guns and trigger explosive mines. The action could get frantic and fun. The local multiplayer mode also has submodes like Last Ninja, Battle, Coin and Crown modes. There are also five battle area modes where the killing could get strategic for you and your friends. And yeah, your ninja will dab after he wins. Hurray for coolness.
For a game that relies so much on movement, I find the control movements of the ninjas strangely loose and not very tight. As a gamer, I have been spoiled by very good platforming games where simple direction movements are just perfect and easy to master. Ninja Shodown character movements feel rough around the edges even after you have already been playing the game for quite some time.
The visual and sound design of the game are serviceable. Nothing special to write about, to be honest.
I still wish that the game could’ve been more fun if there were more inventiveness thrown into the game. Or if it at least can be a good match or clone to Towerfall Ascension. Alas, I think I still have to wait for the Switch port to be released. Meanwhile, Ninja Shodown will do as a passable local multiplayer party game with friends.
Rating: 3/5
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