Review #027: Ninjin: Clash of Carrots (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewed By: Chad M.
Developed By: Pocket Trap
Published By: Modus Games
Category: Action, Adventure
Release Date: 09.04.18
Download Ninjin: Clash of Carrots from the Nintendo eShop here.
Slice Of Life
Beat 'em up games are popular on the Switch in the style of musou type fighting games. So it’s fun to see a spin the classic formula, dragged back to the roots. Ninjin: Clash of Carrots is Pocket Traps newest game where they ask what is the silent killer? The answer is a ninja rabbit.
Don’t Touch His Carrots
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots story is hilarious! I heard the game was inspired by anime and it is very apparent from the storyline and characters. The story kicks off in a fantasy version of feudal Japan, where a big baddie by the name of Shogun Moe leads his forces in to a small village to steal all their resources. Those resources are in the form of carrots and doing this leaves the village in shambles. This is where Ninjin, our bunny hero, comes in to track down the carrots and defeat the evil shogun master.
You will travel over a Mario type map with several worlds. In each level you have multiple waves of enemies you have to defeat that are trying to cut you to pieces all while robots are exploding and fire balls race by you. . Once you reach a midway point you have to face a mini-boss before you can move along. As you progress new enemies are introduced in a large flashy way that is very reminiscent of anime. What also reminds me of anime is the sheer randomness and awkwardness of the story and characters. At times it’s hilarious when the cutscenes come and the story plays out with funny dialogue that is so off the cuff with name calling and throwbacks to old school anime.
As you move forward through your journey you’ll come across the corgi store after you save corgi from meeting his demise. At the store you can upgrade your sword, buy potions to extend life and endurance and also buy different projectile weapons. There are over 150 weapons to choose from and upgrade making the replayability very high. You can also play levels over and over until you get gold medals on each. Speaking of replayability, there is a mode you can unlock called Oni Tv Show that is an endless mode where every time you defeat three waves they give you upgrades to use within the mode. If you can defeat ten waves in a row then you get a chest that will give you an unlocked weapon or potion.
Slicing It Up With Friends
What can be better than slicing and dicing up bad guys? Why, doing it with a friend! You are joined in battle by a witty fox named Akai. Playing local multiplayer is a fun and frantic way to play this beat 'em up. I say frantic because when playing with a friend we sometimes had a hard time finding ourselves in the higher levels when the stuff really starts hitting the fan with tons of bad guys on the screen. If you don’t have a buddy and still want help or to play multiplayer, Ninjin supports online multiplayer not only in the main story but also in the endless mode.
Gameplay & Controls
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots is labeled as an action adventure, but is a great beat 'em up at its core. As the waves of enemies roll in you become a button mashing manic. You use a sword or spear that you slash and also perform a power dash slash. You’re also equipped with a projectile that starts out being a ninja star. Finally, you have a dash that allows you to move forward and backwards to evade baddies.
The gameplay can become a little repetitive in the later levels as it begins to feel like a lot of the same. Luckily, the gameplay is fast paced and very fun to help break up the repetitiveness. There’s really nothing like gliding all over the screen throwing ninja stars and then swiping to defeat enemies. The controls felt tight and spot on.
Audio & Visuals
The audio effects are great with every dash, slash and impact popping off the screen. The music is more of a callback to older times with wind instruments sounding like it was straight from the samurai days in Japan. It was a nice change of pace to help calm me as the whole screen explodes with action. The visuals are perfectly nostalgic with the pixelated graphics. The colors blast off the screen as everything is so vibrant and colorful. Ultimately, it nails the anime look all around.
Final Thoughts
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots is a terrifically fun beat 'em up that pays homage to anime and games of old. This is a game I had a great time with. The only gripe would be the slight repetitiveness in later levels. But for an eShop game, this is a great buy that will give you hours or fun and the addition of online multiplayer is a great feature that adds even more value. I recommend picking up Ninjin: Clash of Carrots and prepare yourself for a ninja battle.
Final Score: 9/10
Download Ninjin: Clash of Carrots from the Nintendo eShop here.
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*Review Code Provided By Pocket Trap