Gamezebo Rating:

There's nothing worse than a gang of samurai thugs who appear in your peaceful rabbit village and abscond with your stockpile of carrots. Seriously--rabbits like carrots! So if such an unthinkable horror were to actually happen, the good of your ninja rabbit clan at stake, what would you do? Why, you'd unleash the coolest sword-wielding cottontail since Usagi Yojimbo, of course. The ruthless Shogun Moe is to blame for the robbery of your beloved vegetables, and over five stages packed with plenty of enemy types, an exciting array of weapons to suit differing play styles, and tons of upgrades, Ninjin will stealthily slice its way into your heart and parts beyond.

The story of Ninjin is presented with lovingly crafted cutscenes courtesy of Brazilian developer Pocket Trap. The story is straightforward to the point that we don't actually need them, but they're a welcome addition to the overall package. Pocket Trap obviously has respect for ninja traditions and heritage (you even turn into a log when you die!) and has done a wonderful job in conveying the magnitude of the situation. In other words, there is no worse fate to befall a clan of rabbits than the loss of carrots, and for whatever reason, Shogun Moe is really serious about putting everything he can in your way.

Though early stages provide lots of frustrating moments as you adjust to the enemy patterns, gameplay mechanics are easily learned and unbelievably smooth once mastered. A virtual joystick allows the player to pitch up and down the playing field, while a virtual button handles your equipment: the sword and shuriken. A tap of the button slashes with your blade while a slide throws your razor-sharp projectiles. Perhaps the coolest part of this "button" is the ability to aim the direction of your swipe which translates into which direction your star will fly.