NINJA KARAKURI DEN is one of the rare few action games on DSiware available for 200pts. You control a ninja who constantly jumps automatically, and whatever platform he lands on falls. You make your way through single-screen levels in which you have to destroy all of the gears on screen to make the exit appear. Every 4th level has you face another ninja, and every 5th level is free of enemies, you simply collect coins for points.
The strength of the game is definitely your abilities. Once per jump, you can execute a dash move, and mastering it is essential if you want to get anywhere. You'll often need it to reach far-away platform, plus using your sword while dashing allows you to take out a gear in one hit instead of two. Remember, the platforms disappear after you land on them once, so you can't dwell in one place to take as much time as you want to take out a gear.
There is however not a whole lot of variety to the game. There is a single background, only three types of enemies (better to think of them as obstacles, really, since they're all stationary), and three similar bosses, that you'll fight four times each.
Despite this, the game is fun. Dashing from one platform to the next, taking out gears and enemies along the way in one hit, feels very satisfying. Navigate a level exactly the way it's meant to be navigated, and you'll have cleared it in seconds. Almost makes you feels like a real ninja...
The main point of the game is mostly to get as far as you can until you run out of lives. The game saves your high score as well as what level you managed to reach without using a continue.
The biggest problem is that the game is a bit on the easy side. On my third play through I managed to get to level 46 (out of 60 levels). Once one manages to make it through the whole game, what then? I guess you could always try to improve your high score by making it through levels more quickly...
I definitely recommend the game for people who are into going for high scores. For the rest of you out there who will likely not go back to the game once you've "finished" it, the lack of variety and the length make it harder to recommend, though for 200 pts I say it's still worth a go.
Confession: the first time I played through this game, I didn't even know how to play properly. So here's a hint: you CAN determine the height of your jumps by pressing up or down. Knowing that, the level design makes a whole lot more sense.
Nice review. I'm definitely buying this. It reminds me of the old ninja cliche about training on top of tall, thin bamboo shoots. Plus, Action+200 points = HELL YES. Now, what to delete...
