Ninja Chop!! (XBLIG, 2010)

Ninja Chop!!
Developed by zerozerozero
Released for XBLIG (3/2010)

Ninja Chop!! is probably one of those releases for XBLIG that Microsoft would rather everybody forget about. The indie marketplace had its share of perverse, exploitative titles and Ninja Chop!! is one such title. You play as a female ninja who uses her karate chop to cut milk bottles in half. You have a meter with a tick mark you want to stop on as it passes over. The closer to the marker you stop, the more bottles will get chopped. If you stop right on the marker, you'll get a special animation for a perfect chop. Every couple of rounds you get a bonus wave where you attempt to chop a giant milk bottle. As your ninja lady chops these bottles she'll get drenched in milk (or blood if you change the bottles to skulls in the options). It's a very odd game and has a way of making one feel dirty just for even looking at it. As you smash bottles you'll level up your character and unlock new clothing you can dress up in. Every couple of waves the background changes up, and that's really about all there is to Ninja Chop!! While it is maybe worth a chuckle or two, I couldn't see anybody but the most depraved getting much replay out of this title. I suppose that's a bit of a moot point anyway as the title was pulled from XBLIG, likely for its lewd conduct.

Final Verdict: Ninja Chop!! is probably about as perverse a title as you could get on XBLIG, which may also be why it was de-listed from the marketplace.

Related Links:
Ninja Chop!! - GameFAQs
Ninja Chop!! SaD Games - YouTube

Mark of the Ninja (XBLA, 2012) | X-Box Overview

Mark of the Ninja
Developed by Klei Entertainment
Published by Microsoft Game Studios
Released for Xbox 360 (9/2012)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/Switch/Xbox One

Back in the '80's, ninjas were immensely popular and the majority of young boys were fascinated by the stealth assassins. I'd compare the popularity of the ninja back then to how big zombies were in the last decade or so. There was Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the American Ninja movies just to name a few examples. For some reason or another, the popularity of the ninja steadily declined over the years thus we saw less ninjas in popular media. There were only a handful of ninja-themed titles that I'm aware of released in the 360's life cycle and Mark of the Ninja stands tall as one of the best pure ninja games I've played on any system.

Klei Entertainment, the same crew that brought us the Shank series, created Mark of the Ninja using the same engine as those games. Players familiar with the Shank games will immediately notice the similarities both in the art-style and character movement/animation. The major differences between Shank and Mark of the Ninja lies in the gameplay department. While the Shank games were beat 'em ups, Mark of the Ninja is focused entirely on stealth (as any true ninja game should!).

The graphics in Mark of the Ninja are quite dark, which is understandable considering the game is all about sneaking around in the shadows. The backgrounds are all well illustrated with lots of detail and there are several layers to help give a sense of depth. The characters look very similar to Shank and definitely remind me of modern cartoons. Initially I was not the biggest fan of the character art style, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game in the slightest and I warmed up to it as I continued to play. The game makes heavy use of shadows and lighting effects really pop to let you know when your character is illuminated. While at a glance it can be hard to tell what's going in the game at times (mostly due to the darkness), once you play the game a bit and become accommodated you'll be able to navigate with ease.

Mark of the Ninja features twelve stages spread across four differently themed areas. There's a solid variety between the stages, both in the layouts and objectives. One stage will have you setting fire to a building by opening several gas vents while another will have you infiltrate and kill a particular target. New elements are often added as you progress through the game to help keep things fresh. There are frequent checkpoints so messing up or dying never really sets you back too far, eliminating much of the frustration associated with stealth titles. The game runs a bit longer than your average downloadable arcade title, but with the variety on offer here this is definitely a good thing.

Mark of the Ninja features an upgrade system to help add a sense of progression. While this is more or less a trope of modern video games, it works really well here as it allows the player to become familiar with each new ability as they're unlocked and doesn't overwhelm you with abilities from the start. You'll earn upgrade points based on three things: overall score, collectibles found and three sub objectives found on each level. This provides good incentive to go back and replay levels to get more upgrade points. The upgrades range from new techniques like stealth kills and attack moves to equipment such as caltrops, noise makers and smoke bombs. Before starting a new level you have the option to select your loadout and scattered throughout the game you'll find shrines you can use if you wish to change your loadout mid-mission. The game also features a focus technique, which when using most play styles will stop time and allow you to aim your darts, attack or distraction items.

Mark of the Ninja features six different play styles you'll unlock as you progress through the game. These will change the way you approach each level and definitely add a nice layer of replay-ability to the game. If you want more stealth, there's one style (path of silence) where running no longer makes noise at the expense of attack items and a sword. On the other end of the spectrum you have the path of might which adds additional armor and restores health from stealth kills, but your focus will no longer stop time. After you've selected your style you also have a choice between four distraction and attack items (assuming your style allows for it). The distraction items are noise makers, smoke bombs, distraction flares and a cardboard box. These are all useful in certain scenarios, as smoke bombs will temporarily disable laser tripwires, flares blind guards with night vision goggles and the box makes it so you can hide anywhere on the spot. The attack items on offer are the spike mine, terror dart, caltrops and ravenous insects. All of these attack items are useful in different ways and can assist with taking down some of the tougher enemies with ease. All in all, the various loadout configurations add a nice layer of depth to the game and allow you to replay stages using different techniques to complete them.

Mark of the Ninja is an excellent stealth game and provides a wealth of content, especially when compared to your average XBLA title. There's a lot to go back and do for each stage, a well implemented upgrade system and even a new game plus feature that allows you to carry your upgrades over and replay the levels with increased difficulty. There are even two separate endings to wrap up the game's interesting plot. The amount of time you can potentially spend with this game rivals many games that received disc releases. Klei Entertainment really did a fantastic job with this one and Microsoft would have been smart to bring the company on board as an exclusive developer for Xbox platforms, but unfortunately this was not the case and Klei has gone on to support the PS4 over the One in the current generation of consoles. In October 2018, a remastered version of this game would release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.

Final Verdict: Mark of the Ninja is a fantastic stealth title, easily among the best stealth games on the system and up there with the greats on XBLA. Ninja fans don't miss this one!

DLC: Mark of the Ninja Special Edition
Released 8/2013

Just short of a year after the release of the original game, Mark of the Ninja received some DLC in the form of Special Edition. This grants players an additional level, developer commentary, a new play style and a few new gadgets that can all be used in the original levels as well. The additional level is fun with a design that fits in well with the original stages, featuring a story that serves as a prequel to the main game. The new play style is interesting, taking away the sword and allowing players to knockout enemies instead of killing them. KO'd enemies can be revived if discovered by another enemy. In order to compensate for this the player is allowed to hold more distraction and attack items in their inventory.

The special edition DLC introduces new distraction and attack items as well. Dusk moths are added to the distraction items and fungal spores are the new attack item. The dusk moths work similar to the smoke when thrown at enemies, distracting them and allowing you to move in for an easy kill. Unlike the smoke bombs, dusk moths can be thrown at lights to temporarily block them out, which can come in handy for those indestructible spotlights. The fungal spores will take down a target when thrown at them and will unleash a nasty cloud which will incapacitate anybody who comes to investigate the body. The DLC also contains developer commentary, which delivers an interesting look into the game's design. As a heads up I'd recommend making sure it's turned off on your first playthrough as it does contain several spoilers. In closing, the DLC for Mark of the Ninja is definitely worth checking out for those who enjoyed the main game.

Final Verdict: Even though the Special Edition DLC only contains one level, the extra play style and items that carry over into the main campaign make it worth a look, especially for just $4.99.

Related Links:
Buy Mark of the Ninja - Xbox Marketplace
Mark of the Ninja - Official Klei Entertainment Page
Mark of the Ninja - Metacritic
Mark of the Ninja - GameFAQs
Mark of the Ninja - True Achievements
Mark of the Ninja Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

Mini Ninjas (Xbox 360, 2009)

Mini Ninjas
Developed by Io Interactive
Published by Eidos Interactive
Released for Xbox 360 (9/2009)
Also on DS/iOS/Mac/PC/PS3/Wii

Mini Ninjas is a kid-friendly stealth/action/platformer title from Io Interactive, a crew best known for the Hitman series of games. The game sports some cartoony graphics that have held up well since the game was released. This is a single-player only game, featuring a campaign that should keep you busy for around 10 hours.You'll assemble a small crew and will have the ability to switch your character at will in your journey to take down the evil samurai warlord.

The graphics in Mini Ninjas have a cartoon vibe to them, but they're not cel-shaded like most games that go for this look, giving it a nice distinct look. The environments are detailed and the characters are all designed well, though you will see the same enemies very frequently. Everything looks a bit cute but not so adorable that it hurts to look at. The boss battles are well done and each feels different from the last. The sound design works well and you'll always know when an enemy is nearby, although I'm sure some will be annoyed by the gibberish talk that spews forth from the enemies. The music fits the theme of the game well, though I'm sure you'll struggle to remember any of it once you've turned the game off.

Mini Ninjas features a beefy campaign that spans twenty-two levels, with several boss fights spread throughout. Levels tend to be quite large, allowing for some exploration, and the developers did a nice job making the levels seem even bigger than they really are. There's a decent variety here too, ranging from green forest areas, grassy plains and snow capped mountains. You're on a quest to take down the samurai warlord and restore balance to the land. Apparently they've been transforming animals into their minions to assemble an army. When you take down an enemy, an animal will appear in their place, helping to minimize the violence and keep an "E" for everyone rating. This is actually a pretty cool effect and definitely reminded me of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game.

As you work your way through the campaign you'll rescue additional ninjas and once you've found them all you'll be able to switch between five separate characters on the fly. Each character works better against certain enemies and to maximize efficiency you'll want to switch them up quite frequently. Once you get the archer who can fire an unlimited amount of arrows the game gets a bit easy, so if you wish to keep the challenge up you may want to minimize using that character. Other than the over-powered archer the characters are balanced pretty well and are fun to use.

Mini Ninjas boasts some unique features, one of them being the ability to possess animals. Larger animals like bears and hogs can be used to attack enemies. Also while in animal form collectibles will be marked in your proximity by purple clouds of smoke. You'll also find a fishing rod which you can use at certain water spots to catch some fish and stock sushi in your inventory. Some of the special abilities are more useful than others, with some like the sunlight power being very underutilized. The sunlight power is used to vanquish the ghosts, which if I recall correctly I only saw on two different levels throughout the entire game. Sunlight spell not included, most of the other spells are fun to mess with and you'll find many of them as you progress through the campaign.

While stealth is an aspect of the game and sneaking up on enemies will result in a one-hit kill, the majority of your enemy encounters will involve direct fighting. I had a tough time sneaking up and killing more than an enemy or two before being detected and having to fight everybody else. Later in the game you will get a camouflage spell that will help you sneak up on enemies, but it's still just as difficult to get successive stealth kills. Luckily the fighting in Mini Ninjas isn't too bad, since you'll be doing a lot of it. You have a standard and heavy attack, and when enemies block (which they frequently do) you'll have to use a heavy attack to stagger them and get some easy shots in. Depending on which ninja you're using you'll attack with a different weapon, including katana swords, spears and hammers. Within your inventory you'll be able to hold additional items to use in battle, such as bombs, caltrops and shurikens. Fighting is basic and works well for the most part, with the biggest problem being the "hatted samurai" that show up later in the game and have teleporting abilities. These guys caused me many problems until I figured out that I needed to use the bow & arrow to easily attack them. Other than these guys I didn't have much of an issue with the combat, just try to make sure you don't let the enemies gang up on you.

There is a fair share of platforming in Mini Ninjas and for the most part there's nothing too frustrating. I did run into a few spots where the camera would turn as I walked, causing me to walk right off the edge, but these sections are few and far between and didn't ruin the overall experience. Being a ninja, you have a wall jump that you'll have to utilize every now and then. Your character swims extremely slow, but luckily you can use your hat as a boat in order to traverse the water much quicker.

As with most modern games, there is a progression system in Mini Ninjas. Defeated enemies will drop little balls which will grant the player XP when picked up. As you level up you'll gain bonus perks such as more health and spirit. The spirit meter is depleted when doing special/magic attacks and sprinting. There are also quite few collectibles to seek out if you're the completionist type. There are 100 "Jizo statues" scattered throughout the campaign in addition to caged animals that can be freed (195 of these in total!). Some of the statues are hidden well and if you're not on the lookout for them can be easy to miss. The collectibles help provide a little replay value if you're the type who likes to get everything.

Mini Ninjas is a solid game and a bit more polished than your average "all-ages" game. I'm not sure how popular ninjas are with today's youth, but I know if I would've had this game in my youth I would've loved it. Even as a 30+ year-old I enjoyed having a run through the rather long campaign. If you find it cheap and have a love for anything ninja related, give Mini Ninjas a shot and you just might enjoy yourself. I was a bit surprised how enjoyable a family-friendly ninja game could be!

Final Verdict: Mini Ninjas is a fun, family-friendly action-platformer with a single-player campaign of decent length. Recommended for those who love some ninja action!

Purchase Links:
Buy Mini Ninjas (Digital) - Xbox Marketplace
Buy Mini Ninjas (Disc) - eBay

Related Links:
Mini Ninjas - Official Site
Io Interactive - Official Site
Mini Ninjas - Xbox Store
Mini Ninjas - GameFAQs
Mini Ninjas Achievement Guide - XboxAchievements.com

Ninja Train (XBLIG, 2009)

Ninja Train
Developed by dot zo games
Released for XBLIG (8/2009)

Wao! that's NINJA! (Xbox Overview disclaimer: This was the actual product description from the developer for Ninja Train.)

Ninja Train is the second release on XBLIG from developer dot zo games. The game is a 2D platformer-runner title where the screen will auto-scroll to the right and you'll make an effort to collect as many coins along the way. Your character has a double-jump and can dash in the air, making him quite mobile. Ninja Train is not a bad game, but it doesn't really do anything to stand out in the genre of runner games. The 2D graphics are extremely basic but pack some charm (as with all releases from dot zo) and the music sounds very ninja appropriate, but there just wasn't enough to it that made me want to come back to it. I found I could complete most stages by just mashing the jump button and holding right, at least in the few levels featured in the trial. Overall, the game looks nice and plays decent enough but I'd recommend some of dot zo games' better offerings first, such as Ninja Bros.or NYAN-TECH.

Final Verdict: Ninja Train is a nice looking 2D style runner game that lacks the gameplay to hook you in. Unless you're an absolute ninja junkie this one's hard to recommend.

Related Links:
Ninja Bros - Xbox Overview
Nyan-Tech - Xbox Overview
Ninja Escape - Xbox Overview
Horse Race Starter - Xbox Overview
Ninja Train - GameFAQs

Ninja Escape (XBLIG, 2010)

Ninja Escape
Developed by dot zo games
Released for XBLIG (6/2010)

"Ninja,fall,next,Ninja,fall,next...10stage!wao!"

The above were the exact words posted for the game's description back when XBLIG was still active. Ninja Escape is dot zo games' fourth entry on XBLIG. It sticks with the same graphical style of the developers' previous effort Ninja Bros., but this time the game is all about freefalling. You will start on a platform and drop down below you, with other various platforms you can trigger with the face buttons. Most of my time spent with Ninja Escape involved my character plummeting to his death as I just couldn't get a feel of exactly how you're supposed to not die when you crash into the ground. There's some method to slow your character, and I did manage to squeeze my way through the tutorials but I felt no more educated on how to play the game for having done so. Upon smashing into the ground your ninja will turn into a spirit who can go left to retry or right to skip to the next stage. The full game retails for $1 and will give you 10 levels, and while that is a bit meager it does at least keep track of high scores. Give it a shot if ninja freefalling with retro 8-bit style graphics sounds like a good time to you, but personally I'd recommend Nyan-Tech or Ninja Bros (both from this same developer) as they are much more enjoyable.

Final Verdict: Ninja Escape is a confusing game where you freefall and try to land on your feet in the quickest time possible. Hardcore ninja junkies who love 8-bit style graphics might dig this, but for everyone else I'd recommend some of dot zo's other XBLIG games over this one.

Related Links:
Ninja Bros. - Xbox Overview 
Nyan-Tech - Xbox Overview
Ninja Train - Xbox Overview
Horse Race Starter - Xbox Overview
Ninja Escape - GameFAQs
Ninja Escape - Giant Bomb

Akane the Kunoichi (XBLIG, 2011)

Akane the Kunoichi
Developed by Haruneko
Released for XBLIG (5/2011)
Also on PC/iOS

Akane the Kunoichi is a 2D platformer that is an homage to retro ninja titles, specifically the Shinobi games. Don't let the boobs on the cover fool you that this another throwaway indie title! The main difference between Akane and Shinobi is that you play as a female, but your still taking down enemies by throwing your weapons at them, though rather than shuriken you'll be using kunai. The level design is solid and tends to make use of platforming a bit more than the old Shinobi titles did, but the controls are up to the task and navigating the levels is a good time. You have five acts, each with three levels. At the end of each third level you'll face off against a boss. The game also has its own achievement-style challenges you can unlock for a little replay value. Haruneko has shown us with both Akane the Kunoichi and Amazing Princess Sarah that they can design a competent 2D game that's a lot of fun to play! It's a bit of a shame that this one didn't get ported over to the Xbox One like Sarah did, but it did receive mobile and PC ports so it is still playable. I wouldn't count on it coming to the One as I can't see Amazing Princess Sarah selling that well on the platform, but I could be wrong. Regardless, Akane is a solid effort and totally worth your time, though I'd probably stay away from the mobile versions as it's best played with a controller.

Final Verdict: A cool throwback to old-school ninja games, fans of Shinobi should have a good time with Akane the Kunoichi!

Related Links:
Amazing Princess Sarah - Xbox Overview
Akane the Kunoichi - GameFAQs
Haruneko - Developer Page
Akane the Kunoichi for PC - Steam
Akane the Kunoichi Review - Indie Gamer Chick
Akane the Kunoichi Review - Die Hard Game Fan

Ninja Bros. (XBLIG, 2009)

Ninja Bros.
Developed by dot zo games
Released for XBLIG (10/2009)

Ninja Bros. is a 2D puzzle/platformer title with 8-bit style pixel graphics. The game has a unique gimmick which involves you controlling up to four different ninjas simultaneously, each on their own separate playfield. While they each move at the same time when you press a direction, they jump independently and are controlled by the face button matching their color scheme. Each ninja's playfield features a door, which often has to be unlocked with a switch, that you must navigate all ninjas to in order to complete the stage. It makes for some very unique puzzles that will really make you think once you get further in. The game makes great utilization of its gimmick and levels get more intricate as you progress. Several levels feature collectibles so there's some replay incentive if you want to go back and snag them all. The game also has "Ninja Awards," which function as achievements, which is a nice way to round out the package. Ninja Bros. offers up four different difficulties and for a dollar that's more replay value than you could ask for! Fans of old-school puzzle platformers should definitely give this one a look! As far as I cant tell this game only ever released exclusively for XBLIG so it will be quite tough to play this one if you didn't already have it downloaded.

Final Verdict: Ninja Bros. is a unique & well-crafted 2D puzzle-platformer that fans of the genre will have a blast playing! At only one dollar this one was a steal back when XBLIG was around!

Related Links:
Nyan-Tech - Xbox Overview
Ninja Escape - Xbox Overview
Ninja Train - Xbox Overview
Horse Race Starter - Xbox Overview
Ninja Bros. - GameFAQs
Ninja Bros. - Giant Bomb