Windows Central Roundup: Top Rated Windows Phone Ninja Games
Ninjas are a popular subject for games and the Windows Phone Store has a handful of top rated games that feature these stealthy characters. Many are action oriented Windows Phone games that will test your skills at strategy, reflexes and speed.
We pulled four of the top rated ninja styled games from the Windows Phone Store to highlight for this week's roundup. We tried to offer a variety of titles that include a platformer, a fighting game and a pair of target practice games. All come across entertaining ways to pass the time with nice graphics and challenging game play.
Turkey Ninja
Let us start this week's roundup with a light-hearted Windows Phone game. Turkey Ninja is a game where you play the role of a ninja who is having everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him. As the various items are slung at your ninja, you have to tap the boxes at either side of the screen that correspond with the level the item being throw is at.
The result has your ninja fending off the food items with his stealthy ninja moves, earning points as the item is destroyed. The game does award bonus points for combo smashes and if your ninja gets hit three times, the game is over.
Graphics are nice and game play will test your reflexes and timing. I did occasionally experience a little lag time between tapping the side buttons and seeing the ninja strike at the object. It doesn't occur often enough to ruin the game but it may cost your ninja a life point here or there.
All in all, Turkey Ninja isn't a terrible game to pass the time with but I'm just not sure how much staying power the game has. At last check the game does pull down a 4 Star rating in the Windows Phone Store, which is probably about half a star too high.
Shuriken Ninja
Shuriken Ninja is the senior Windows Phone game in this week's roundup. The game has been around for several years and has received a few facelifts along the way. While the game's appearance and features have changed, the premise of the game has remained the same.
The multi-level game has you playing the role of a ninja who has a limited supply of shuriken throwing stars. The physics based game requires to you take out various targets in each level to advance in the game. Some targets are straight shots while others require a little creativity to take out.
Shuriken Ninja has four gaming modes to explore that include:
- Shinto: 63 levels with hanging targets protected by wooden and steel barricades to make things difficult.
- Classic: 126 levels of play with moving targets that will at times be protected by wooden and steel barricades.
- Master: 63 levels of play with three different types of shurikens that have properties to help you advance through the levels. You have the standard shuriken, an explosive shuriken and a shuriken that will splinter into four parts if you tap it in mid flight.
- Target: This is more of a speed round with a targets appearing at random and you have a hit a set number of targets before the game timer runs out. Reach the goal and you advance to the next round. This is the only gaming mode with unlimited shurikens to throw.
Along with the four gaming modes, you also have a level creator where you can build your own Shuriken Ninja level and upload it for others to play. You can also download and play levels created by other players. Needless to say, there is plenty of gaming with Shuriken Ninja to keep you busy.
Graphics are nice, game play challenging and overall Shuriken Ninja is an entertaining gaming title to have in your Windows Phone gaming library.
Shadow Fight 2
If you have not tried Shadow Fight 2 and are looking for a new game, you need to download this Windows Phone game. It's not perfect but Shadow Fight 2 is a very well laid out fighting game.
Shadow Fight 2 has RPG qualities with equipment and weapons to purchase and new attacks to learn as your character gains experience (and earn gold through game play). You can fight in individual matches or compete in tournaments.
The game screen has simple controls with a joystick to handle your movement and direction of attack and punch/kick buttons to determine the nature of your attack. Fight matches are best two out of three.
Graphics are well done with the silhouetted combatants and their animations. It should be noted that for devices other than the Lumia 1520, 822, 820, 810, 525 and the HTC 8XT the developer recommends the graphics setting be set to low for the best game play experience. In using the Medium or High graphics setting on the Lumia 830, everything looked nice but there was a significant lag time between initiating an attack and seeing it happen on the screen.
Even at the lower graphics setting, Shadow Fight 2 is a fun game to pass the time with. While it is a free gaming title in the Windows Phone Store, the downside to things is that it is not available for low-memory devices. Shadow Fight 2, at last check is pulling down a 4.5 Star rating, which we will not argue with at all.
Ninja Mission
Ninja Mission is a platform styled Windows Phone where you have to guide a ninja across rooftops while battling other ninjas and jumping over and sliding under obstacles.
Game controls are handled by screen gestures (swipe up to jump, swipe down to slide, slide left/right to throw shuriken stars) with coins and other power-ups available as you run the course.
Ninja Mission has 45 missions or tasks that need to be completed as you run around taking out enemies and jump from roof to roof. The tasks include goals such as slide ten times, take out ten enemies, etc.
There is a collection of power-ups available in the gaming store that you can purchase with the coins collected during game play. You will find power-ups such as a super gun that will not only shoot through the enemy ninjas but also destroy any obstacles, a magnet to collect coins as your ninja runs near them and points multipliers.
Along with the gaming store, Ninja Mission has two additional ninja costumes that will become available as you complete missions and an in-app store where you can buy coins ($.99 to 2.99), remove the ad support ($.99) and unlock the kid's mode for easier game play ($.99).
The pace of the game has a little kick to it and Ninja Mission will give test your reaction times. As you would guess, the further you survive the game the quicker the pace becomes and you will find yourself frantically swiping at your Windows Phone screen to keep your ninja safe from harm.
Graphics are nice and overall, I can see how the game can pull down a 4 Star rating in the Windows Phone Store.
The Windows Phone Store has more ninja related games on the shelves. You have the Fruit Ninja styled game where you slash as fruit as it flies across the screen and the Pandas vs. Ninjas series that offer a wide range of games that pits the assassins against the large furry bears.
If we've missed your favorite ninja game, feel free to toss out your recommendation in the comments below. Oh and if you've given any of the games in this week's roundup a try, let us know what you think in the comments as well.