Despite never owning the game, I have fond memories of Mini Ninjas. In the summer of 2009, my brothers and I were dead broke, and spent our time playing demo after demo on the PS Store. The Mini Ninjas demo was surprisingly interesting - there were secrets, a well-controlled main character with lots of tools in his belt, systems of stealth and magic and multiple characters. For the longest time I considered it to be a potential hidden gem on my radar, but as I got older, I increasingly couldn't justify playing a older kid's game instead of whatever was newer, shinier, more interesting and complicated.

Enter 2022. I have acquired a Steam copy of Mini Ninjas for $2, and am bewildered to discover it was made by the B-Team at IO Interactive, known for making the best stealth games of the last 10 years. I relive the beginning stage - the same one that comprised the demo - and things felt as good as I remembered. It was simple, but fluid. I could imagine a younger version of myself, used to the clunky LEGO platformers and the like, being floored by the number of tools the player has to get through the semi-open stages. I feel as though I'm being set up for something wonderful off the beaten path...

But then the experience repeats. Again, and again. The same enemies, the same structures, the same environments to conquer appear and reappear, and I am inundated with more characters, more systems, more ninja tools, more powers and spells with nothing interesting to use them for. New enemy types are gradually revealed, but they have specific strategies required to defeat them that destroy the purpose of the vast toolkit. Bosses break up the monotony, but they are largely just quick-time events, totally divorced from all of the cool shit you're constantly being given. By the endgame, I have 5 party members, nearly 10 spells, and a half-dozen potions that I have never been required or even encouraged to try.

There really is something beating here. The environments are simple in structure but their openness and art direction are quite captivating. Traveling off of the beaten path is almost always rewarded. Stealthing through the landscape is a genuinely viable alternative to the vast majority of encounters. The samurai fortresses that punctuate the game's various acts are fairly complicated, with vertical geography and greater threats building tension the deeper you delve. Best of all, Hiro himself feels great to control, making his friends almost entirely redundant with his speed, spellcasting, and array of combat skills.

If the focus of development was on a more singular experience (akin to Tenchu, perhaps), where as much care was put into the challenges before the player as the systems that exist for their benefit, with even more routes to success and a greater need to dig deep into the bag of tricks, even if just for optional content, we're looking at a winner - one that could appeal to a wide range of players. What we got, however, is not that. Following Mini Ninjas, the team behind its development was absorbed into the main Hitman team as support staff, and to this day haven't been granted access to independent development again. It makes one wonder how things might have turned out had the opportunity been taken more seriously.

Mini Ninjas is probably the most underrated game I've ever played. There's so much to love about this game from its fun gameplay, awesome levels, and gorgeous scenery. One of my childhood favorites and I love coming back to replay it every few years.

Gameplay:
Mini Ninjas has you exploring many massive levels to gather items, find collectibles, and fight enemies. The main objective in each level is to get from point A to point B, but it is never straightforward. The main challenges you'll face are the enemies and the terrain. The enemies can either be snuck around or fought head-on. The game gives you a sizable variety of tools to help occomplish this, sometimes crafted with the materials you can find by exploring. The terrain in each level can be treacherous. You'll be jumping and wallrunning over chasms or riding a boat down a dangerous waterfall. The gameplay can be incredibly thrilling, but also calming. Oftentimes in levels there are quiet moments that encourage you to slow down and take in the scenery. You can stop to craft, fish, look around, pick up materials. It's a gameplay loop that really makes Mini Ninjas an awesome experience.

Combat is a fairly big part of Mini Ninjas. The game gives you multiple characters to play as through the game, each with their own weapons and ultimate moves, but you'll mostly be playing as the main guy, Hiro. Hiro can find spells hidden around the levels to cast. Some are used for stealth but most are devastating attacks to use in combat. They help add some variety in the otherwise buttom-mashy battles. Speaking of variety, this game has a fair amount in its enemy types. You'll be fighting basic enemies in the beginning but over time more are introduced, often with unique methods of taking them down. They can really change the dynamic of the battles. The bosses are really good too, providing greats tests of skill. That being said, the combat can feel repetitive by the end.

Story:
Mini Ninja's story is simple but compelling. Hiro is tasked by his sensei to rescue the land from a powerful sorcerer who is raising a samurai army by capturing animals to turn into his mindless soldiers. The devastation this army has caused can be seen in each level you visit. The game really does make you feel like you are fighting back against some powerful force. The length of the journey also helps it all feel very epic.

Sound and visuals:
From what I remember, the sound design was solid so I don't have much to say there. However, the music is awesome. It can be atmospheric and beautiful, but also intense and foreboding. It's nothing I'd listen to outside of the game's context, but it is memorable.

The visuals in this game are stellar. The UI is really solid. The environments are large, varied, and downright gorgeous. The lighting is really nice. The character designs are charming and adorably stylized. Still not quite as smooth as other games from the era but still incredible nonetheless.

Conclusion:
Like I said in the beginning, there's a lot to love about Mini Ninjas. I've never played another other game with such a gigantic journey through equally gigantic environments. Though I don't actually know how easy it would be to get a hold of this game in 2022, I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for an action-adventure game that's brimming with atmosphere, full of places to explore, and packed with solid gameplay.

Coming back to Mini Ninjas years after I first played it back during the PS3 era, I'm greatly impressed at how well this game has held up. What makes it so appealing to me and what made me want to come back to Mini Ninjas is its gorgeous art style and atmospheric sound design.

What comes off as a chibi, children-catered ninja adventure game turns out to be a beautifully crafted and creative stealth experience that as I mentioned, was a blast to play through even as an adult. Many instances throughout the game are intense and eerie, while others are action packed or stealthy.

With loads of spells, weapons, items, and multiple characters, this game offers a wide variety of player freedom leading to endless outcomes and options to any obstacle standing in your way.

Mini Ninjas is one of the most endearing games I've ever played in my entire life, and I can't for the life of me explain why it has an average rating on 2.9 here. Such a fun and soothing experience, this game is.

Strolling around through these gorgeous environments, hearing the little steps of your character, listening to the winds and the calming music, before plunging yourself into battles that feel genuinely epic is a great experience, again, thanks to all the music. Honestly, the score and general sound design might be one of my favourite parts of Mini Ninjas. They do a lot of heavy lifting in elevating the fairly shallow combat and giving power to moments like crossing a raging river, or fighting a squad of goons in the mountains.

Another thing I liked about this game is just how hecking cute it is. All your ninjas have their own quirks both in control and in visuals (i especially liked the tiger boy), and all the animals are animated wonderfully. But cute is not all that Mini Ninjas has: some parts are genuinely creepy or intimidating. The bosses are real scary, especially as I was playing the game at 10 y/o. The cemetary level is still chilling and eerie, too. And in general, this game is full of emotions. Really worth checking it out.

Artstyle, humor, environments, shrines, sailing through lakes and rivers with a bowl, etc; all were enjoyable for me. This game has neat moments like when you try to fish that giant koi and it drags you around a flooded village. In these areas, the game feels solid and polished, so far so good.

However, I was expecting this to be a game big on stealth (ninjas and all that), but it isn't, at all. There's even a dedicated sneak button that I rarely used. So you have to fight aggressively if you want to actually have some fun with this game (and level up your character), since you will end up getting caught easily by all the samurai on the whole damn map at the same time anyways. Turning into animals is cute and all but samurai still spot you easily if you get even remotely close, and most animals are incredibly slow so not really an option for exploration as maps are huge.

And, there were too many spells and playable characters cluttering things up. You don't need to use any characters besides the main one and the hammer dude (for bear samurai). The game doesn't challenge you with any difficult or interesting enemies or scenarios to justify the huge amount of options.

Encountering the exact same squad of samurai for the 100th time gets old really really fast, no matter how many items or spells or characters or gimmicks you throw at it. I didn't enjoy any of that, I think most levels could've been scrapped entirely to have a more quick but focused progression. Some levels just drag on and on and on and it made me want to just drop the game and never play again a couple times. I didn't dislike boss encounters as I found the bosses themselves to be creative, however you beat all of them with quick time events except the last one (at least)

If they focused on maybe 2 characters only and polished up the enemies, stealth and mechanics (more types of samurai, all characters can use a few spells exclusive to each one, players are able to set up elaborate traps for samurai, catch them through tall weeds one by one, create mirages, turn dangerous wild animals against them, etc) it would've been a good game worth remembering.

As it stands, the game left me feeling lukewarm on some areas, and frustrated and disappointed in all others. I was expecting something much more special mechanic and stealth-wise when I catched a glimpse of this game on youtube years and years ago.

I get many people played it and loved it back in the day, but right now, I don't recommend it at all.