Paper Ninja has been out for some time but due to the latest update Apptrawler was considered cool enough to get a promo.  We are extremely happy to have been considered as we have really enjoyed slicing and dicing our lightweight enemies.

If you need a plot then the game follows the exploits of a ancient martial artist whom when attacked by ninjas in the middle of the night uses his ninja magic to turn them into paper…  … …  ok so plots are over rated… there was once a plumber who was attacked by an angry turtle… I hear he did quite well.

Anyway, the game sees the protagonist; you, use your finger to slice the on coming horde of paper ninjas.  each ninja holds their sword in a different position and you need to ensure that you do not touch the sword.  If you do end up touching the sword you use one of ‘disarm’ abilities, of which you only have three to begin with.  If the ninja’s go ‘unsliced’ then they hit the screen (in the form of a fun little plaster) and you lose one of your 3 lives.

This is a fun little game in a similar style to fruit ninja which is great for killing time.  Aside from the general slicing there are combos, power ups a great selection of magic such as freezing the ninjas by using the ‘pinch’ motion.  The game is Openfeint enabled and you can rack up a whole host of achievements.

In order to give a bit of variety to the game play the developers Real Inverse have added a great challenge section with 3 mini games to rack up points dancing and making ninja salads.

The graphics are clean, simple, and fun which all look tidy and professional.  The sound and music is spot on which all the proper ‘shwings’ and ‘clangs’.

As this has already been updated I don’t think we have seen the last of the Paper Ninja and we wish them the best of luck in the charts as this is a great game that takes a simple concept and turns it into a solid entertaining game.   If you don’t already have Fruit Ninja, then this is a sure fire contender to get instead!!

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Parachute Ninja‘s story isn’t exactly the standout part of this game; some dude set your hut on fire so this weird little yellow guy with wicked eyebrows tells you that you need to put on some funny clothes and bounce around a 2D platforming-based world until a game over screen pops up. Something like that.

The core of Parachute Ninja‘s gameplay is based around launching a tiny, round ninja from little floating slingshots all around an area and using his parachute to float around the environment. Slinging the ninja from the vines that form the game’s slingshot/platforms works much like the slingshot mechanic from Bird Strike. Once in the air, touching anywhere on the screen will cause the ninja to whip out his tiny parachute, which will slow his fall and allow the player to control the direction of his descent by tilting the device.

There are two modes in Parachute Ninja: Story mode and Survival mode. Story mode tests your little ninja with 30 levels in each of which the goal is to reach the exit while collecting as many fireflies (generic floating shiny things) as possible to get a high score. There is no time limit or penalty for taking a long time in these levels, and there is no way to “lose”, as a fall into the always-rising (and yet completely unexplained) watery abyss will simply restart your character at the last checkpoint you touched and deduct a few points from your score. Levels are ranked using what is essentially a three-star system, with the highest award going to those who were able to rack up a huge score by collecting numerous fireflies within a short time period, creating a combo. High score chasers out there will be happy to hear that Plus+ has been integrated into the game, making scores and achievements fully featured and online.

The second playable mode in Parachute Ninja, Survival mode, plays quite similarly to Doodle Jump. In this mode the goal is to get as high as possible while constantly being chased by a deadly wave of rising water. While the starting area of this mode is always the same, players who get higher up will start to discover that the obstacles and various items are all randomly generated, making Survival mode a part of the game that many people will find themselves returning to long after beating the Story mode.

There’s a decent amount of variety to Parachute Ninja‘s platforming mechanics due to the different types of platforms like trampolines, slingshots, fans, etc. The introduction of these new mechanics are spread out pretty evenly throughout the Story mode, so the game stays fresh for the whole ride.

The one gameplay element that I had some trouble with was the tilt-controlled movement of the parachute which auto-calibrates to the iPhone’s position when you tap on the screen. If you’re not paying close attention, this can result in some wild overcompensation due to the sensitive controls. In the end, I found using the parachute in quick short bursts worked much better.

After only a few minutes of playing Parachute Ninja, I knew I’d be writing a very positive review. The art style is cute, the gameplay is fun and well-suited to the iPhone, and the two modes are neatly packaged and make the game easy to look at and play. Parachute Ninja is an easy purchase.

App Store Link: Parachute Ninja, $.99

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OMG Pirates! is a game that takes one thing very seriously– non-stop action. From the get go, you are introduced to a simple plot– your ninja town is in ruins from a pirate invasion, and your silent hero tasks it upon himself to take out every last pirate he can find. The action never lets up, and is only briefly interrupted by the hilarious modes of transportation between one area and the next and the quirky pirate dialogue from the various bosses you encounter, before you proceed to dispatch them in true ninja flair.

Each action your ninja takes is an impressively animated feat, be it a combo attack that launches your enemy into the air, or a chain of flip attacks to get out of trouble, you’ll be pulling off some terrific looking moves. Your ninja is controlled with a shuriken-styled analogue stick that offers 360 degrees of movement and there are only three other buttons available to control your ninja; a green jump button; a red attack button; and a gauge/button in the top-left corner that fills as you attack your enemies. This button can be used to unleash a devastating super attack that is both unblockable and affords you invincibility for the length of the attack.

This simplistic control scheme belies an extensive repertoire of combos that gradually unlock as you gain experience, a meter that is independent of the game mode you are playing in, but which bestows upon your ninja the skills to progress through the more challenging encounters in OMG Pirates! Not only will you need to learn how to counter each enemies’ unique attacks, but to complete the game and excel at the Hard and Survival modes that are subsequently unlocked, you will have to master your ninja’s evasion moves, counters and individual attacks, as well as learning the “tells” unique to each enemy and boss. In this sense, OMG Pirates! has all the hallmarks of a competent console fighter, even ranking your ninja prowess each level on a rather ruthless scale.

To round out the package, a catchy pirate-ninja fusion of melodies pervades each level. Sounds are also used as enemy tells throughout the game, so if you are trying to reach those Master ranks, it is advised that you keep the sound on and pay attention. If you prefer to play your own music, that option is also available.

OMG Pirates! is an easy recommendation. The campaign comprises 10 levels spanning a few screens each, and an unlockable Hard and Survival mode, as well as a number of ‘secret’ cheat modes that are unlocked on accumulating 5, 10 and 15 master ranks; will ensure that even the most die-hard ninjas will have both their blades and appetites whet by OMG Pirates!.

App Store Link: OMG Pirates!, .99 (introductory price)

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