Ninja Reflex (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Before you even pick up the box there's a good chance you've already guessed what type of game this is and while there are many mini-game compilations available on the DS, this does at least attempt something slightly different. If you ever managed to catch the original Kung Fu TV series (with David Caradine), or indeed any of the Karate Kid movies, you'll know that mastering the mystic martial arts is all about practice. It could be hitting moving targets, catching flies or wiping on and wiping off. Whichever path you take, Ninja Reflex is here to aid you in your quest but is it any good?

Gameplay

While Ninja Reflex allows you to sharpen your skills, it is simply a collection of six main mini-games that have a variety of ever changing fulfillment criteria. It's entirely up to you how you tackle these and you don't even have to complete a whole section in one sitting. As usual the games themselves work with varying degrees of success, with the most involved probably being the Koi Carp fishing. This involves you fishing by hand where you must trace the fish's movements above the water and then pounce as soon as it peers above the surface. Other sections such as catching flies and fireflies only really become interesting when there are added challenges such as a time trial or the collection of a certain color. The battle mode shows great promise but the final outcome is flawed and you'll get constantly frustrated when you know you have blocked an attack only to be struck seconds later.

Once you have played enough games you will be allowed to enter for your belt, which is simply a collection of three of the mini-games, although you have no specific targets prior to attempting them. The general theme though is just to do as best as you can, and no doubt we did as we kept winning belts. The downside of this is, of course, that it's all over a lot quicker than it really should be and even the limited Multiplayer does little to lengthen a game that actually feels more like a demo.

Controls

It's all touch-screen (except for some nunchuck shoulder button action) people, so there's no point hanging around here.

Graphics

Visually the game impresses on every level and the clever mix of 2D and 3D graphics make a refreshing change on the system. At the core of all this is a well-animated Sensei who guides you through the game and who is particularly lifelike thanks to his subtle moves and peaceful manner.

Sound

The audio is very good indeed and while the music is very pleasant indeed, the voice acting is some of the best we've encountered on the DS system.

Dual screen

While every one of the mini-games is preceded by a collection of instructional diagrams, it's still not always obvious what to do. Still, with a bit of trial and error you'll get the hang of things. What is most impressive is the variety with which the developers have utilized the touch-screen so even though the microphone is never used you'll still be dragging, tapping and whirling your stylus all over the bottom screen in order to control the on screen happenings. Another variation on the norm is the inclusion of stealth missions meaning that patience is the name of the game even with the timer slowly ticking down.

Final comments

While Ninja Reflex looks and sounds the part it's just too short. That's not to say it's not fun, but given that there are only really six different activities to choose from you'll soon tire of catching Carp and throwing stars. There are Multiplayer Modes for these but it's still a bit too slight an experience so unless you are getting this for a price you simply can't turn down Ninja Reflex isn't worth the entrance fee.

Pro: Not a Great Deal of Gameplay Variety.
Con: Nice Audio and Visuals.
Final score: 6.1

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