Preview: Mini Ninjas (360)
In Mini Ninjas you play as Hiro, a young trainee Ninja. When the Evil Samurai Warlord, with the help of an ancient magic, turns forest animals in to an army hell bent on world domination, Hiro must lead his small band of Ninjas on an exciting journey through a disintegrating world, to battle the magical hordes of twisted Samurai and eventually confront the Warlord in his Fortress of Doom. The journey to the ominous sounding Fortress is a long and dangerous adventure that will take Hiro and his ninja friends through a big exciting world which varies greatly, from bamboo forests, to snowy mountains, with treacherous castle interiors and flooded valleys.
“Mini Ninjas represents a truly special game for us,” said Niels Jørgensen, General Manager of IO Interactive. “The whole team is very excited about it, because it is unique in so many ways. From the art style to the characters and the depth of the game – Mini Ninjas has that exceptional appeal, which is sure to keep both young and old very entertained.” Aesthetically this is as far removed from your average ninja adventure as you can get. The lovely cartoon visuals really bring the world of Hiro to life with great backdrops to show off all our ninja skills.
The combat looks far deeper than we expected. Along with Hiro you also get other playable characters, such as Futo whose rather large stature gives him much more attacking force. Magic also plays a part with a range of attacks, but also the ability to transform yourself into a number of woodland creatures, such as a fox or bear, giving you different ways of attacking your enemy. Also included are ways of using the environment to your advantage, especially against the giant boss encounters.
Rather than just a one way trip to the end of the game, there are also quests where you can go hunting for mystical flowers that give you new magic spells and experience orbs to level up your other abilities.
Mini Ninjas is currently scheduled for a Fall 2009 release for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS.
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