Action Ninja is an arcade style game which is not too terribly difficult in terms of learning how to play, but it does offer a fair bit of challenge when it comes to actually performing at a high level. The game can also be quite addictive, causing you to want to play more and more which in the end will likely result in you getting a little bit better each time. Part of this is due to you getting used to the patterns of the game, and part is due to your reactions getting faster, and that’s the ticket. You’ll need Ninja fast reaction timing to prove your worth and rack up a high score. There are many arcade games which tend to offer a similar type of gameplay, so let’s take a closer look at Action Ninja and see what it all has to offer.
Before you can get started with honing your ninja quickness, you’ll need to head to the Play Store and install Action Ninja on your device, then you’re off and running and can proceed with your training.
When you boot up Action Ninja for the first time, like many games on Android these days you’ll be greeted with the opportunity to allow the game to connect to your Google Play Games account. The obvious benefits of this are things like your achievements, and if you’re an achievement hunter then you’ll love being able to gather these up and gain XP to raise your overall Google Play Games level.
The game also offers up a screen with a helpful little “how to play” popup menu that you can find in the settings, although all there is to it is tapping the screen to move your ninja. Still, it’s a nice gesture and useful message that more games should implement.
Naturally, since this is linked to Google Play Games, there is also a leaderboard list which shows the high scores of all the people who play Action Ninja, and this allows you to see how you measure up in comparison.
Action Ninja is a free game, and it does offer in-app purchases as well as ads that are in the game. The good news is that one of those in-app purchases is the ability to buy the game version which is ad-free, so if what you care most about is playing the game without ads distracting you, there is an option to enjoy Action Ninja without them.
The store also offers the ability to buy different Ninja characters using the in-game coin currency which you can acquire through playing.
As you play the idea is to jump from tree to tree and to go as far as you can. There will be obstacles in your way, such as spikes, but the real challenge comes from the fact that these spikes are literally everywhere. They’re behind you and continue to move forward so if you stay put you’ll lose. They also sit at the bottom of the screen, and they’ll pop up on the trees in random spots. As an added layer of challenge, the trees will also move up and down leaving you to have to really think about your timing with the jump. The good news is there are power ups you can grab along the way, such as Dash and Shield.
Once you play and get as far as you possibly could, the game will pop up the ending score screen and this is where you’ll also find options to share your score, or tap buttons for the leaderboard or to view achievements you’ve earned so far.
Action Ninja is a very simple game to learn how to play, and that’s the whole idea as it’s easy to pick up and learn almost immediately. This ensures that you’re able to jump right into the game with almost no setup process or tutorials, as the controls are simply tap to move. Having said that, the challenge of getting a higher and higher score goes hand in hand with the addictive nature of gameplay. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again, and try again you shall because the game is easy to play and you’ll want to earn a better score. The game also offers up changing backgrounds in addition to a varied selection of unlockable characters, which is a nice touch too.
Ratings
- Speed (5/5) – The game boots up in a snap, learning how to play is a snap, and the experience is just nice and quick.
- Theme (4/5) – The game looks pretty decent and will certainly be enjoyable.
- Features (4/5) – Has just the right amount of features to make the game fun and keeping you wanting to play more.
- Overall (4/5) – A great little game that is easy to play and fun, but difficult to master.
Pros
- Easy to learn
- Powerups
- Unlockable characters
- Ability to get rid of ads through the IAP
- A decent level of challenge
Cons
- Getting back to the home screen is not really clearly distinguishable, as it took me a few moments to find once I had finished my first game. The back button is displayed as a “refresh button” which could be confusing for some as it was for me, thinking that tapping it would simply restart the gameplay immediately for another try.
When you get right down to it, Action Ninja is a pretty great little game. It’s not packed full of features and there is no complex story here, but the gameplay draws you in all the same and it offers up a nice challenge. The ability to unlock new characters and gather up achievements is always a nice touch for simpler games like these, and if competition is the thing that does it for you then the addition of the leaderboard through Google Play Games will also add a layer of enjoyment as you climb the rankings. The bonus, is that if you really like ninjas, the game has an added allure for the simple fact that you’re playing as a ninja. If you need a new free game to check out this is one that is certainly worth the time to give it a shot.