1-bit Ninja Review – A very odd & good old-school platformer

Our rating:

By: kode80

Version #: 1.21

Date Released: 2012-04-19

Developer: kode80

Price: 2.99

User Rating:

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1-bit Ninja. Probably the less glamorous game I’ve played in my iPod Touch, EVER. So, how come I’m giving this game 5 stars? Well, it’s easy. The story starts with downloading the Lite version, which allows you to play the first 5 levels, the whole of World 1. I played once and thought “Meh”. Went and did something else. I happened to pick my iPod again… And opened it, played again, “Meh”. Repeat: did something else, opened again my iPod Touch… and played more. Hooked, I bought the full version.

What is 1-bit Ninja? In some sense it is a clone of the very, very old school version of Super Mario. You could even drop the “Super” with it. In 1-bit Ninja you play as, well, a pixelated ninja, and you can only move ahead (by pressing the left area of the screen, but this can be changed) and jump (tap the right area). Not even go backwards! Well, there’s a way to go backwards but it involves jumping in carefully placed (by the level designer) springs. You run, jump and smash bad boys in the head while avoiding pitfalls and collecting bits (akin to Mario’s coins) and special treasures.

What’s the extra twist? Well, you can slide your finger over the top, and the dull, 2-dimensional game space turns out to be 3-dimensional, now your 1-bit Ninja is a 3d 1-bit Ninja! With this you can see how to get to the devilishly hidden treasure areas. There are also extras and hidden easter eggs… That I have yet to find. But the game is so stupidly addicting I’ll probably find them. Oh, and one more thing… There’s a “hidden” level designer! Check the developer blog here to find out how.

In short: 1-bit Ninja is one of the best retro platformers, even if you set aside the awesome 3D twist of the game.