Paper Ninja Review

Ninjas may be silent assassins who stalk the night and deliver death with a whisper, but they're also pretty easy to shred if you see them coming. Especially if they happen to be made of paper. Unfortunately, wherever there is one ninja there are dozens more, and eventually you will succumb to their katanas and throwing stars. At least in Paper Ninja you have a fighting chance, as the latest update to the game tosses in some fun power-ups that take this title above the mediocre and into a whole new realm of fun.

Paper Ninja is one of those games that's simple to play but difficult to master. Players must wait for the ninjas to "unfold" from their paper balls and then swipe across the assassin to attack. The catch is that the ninja will be holding one or more weapons, and swiping across the edge of the paper which contains that weapon can stun players and leave them open to attack. Making things even more frantic is the fact that the ninjas rarely ever attack one at a time, so players must react quickly yet calmly to forestall their inevitable demise.

Thankfully gamers aren't left totally defenseless, as this new update to the title includes power-ups that make fighting a bit easier. Pinching the screen for instance will temporarily freeze time, allowing you to attack with impunity and thin out the ninja herd. Placing two fingers on the screen summons a lightning attack which allows the wielder to attack the ninjas from any direction, casting aside worries of being blocked. The flip side of the equation is that these powers can only be earned by effectively dispatching enemies with grace and style, which in turns fills up a meter. It's a nice give and take which creates just the right amount of tension.

Paper Ninja is really a solid app from top to bottom, with enjoyable gameplay being combined with top-notch production values to create a wonderful experience. While a few folks may deem the game too simple and grow tired of repeating the same mechanics over and over again, very few apps are all that deep; Paper Ninja is about what you expect from a simple and cheap title. This is an easy purchase recommendation, go buy it right now. As if that weren't enough, the game's also getting a free Halloween update, so you've officially run out of excuses to not buy it. That and the fact the ninjas will kill you.