Game review: I-Ninja is short on stature, but big on fun

1/24/2004

I-Ninja (Namco)

Ps2, Gamecube, Xbox (MSRP $49.99)

Plug in the industrial strength blender and toss in some of the best platform titles like Sonic, Mario, and Bandicoot, a dash of puzzle-solving and two pinches of cartoon combat and what do you get? A freaky, big headed, wise-cracking Ninja with attitude.

Your job as the pint-sized fighter is to recover four ancient stones and earn ninja belts while slashing your way through bad guys and bosses across a series of islands. Ninja's coolest move is the sword copter spin.

Nothing particularly groundbreaking in I-Ninja but I find the more I play it the more fun it becomes. A carefree title with a wide range of appeal.

— Jake Jones