There’s an irony behind how popular multiplayer games are on Nintendo’s platforms despite the highly questionable quality of their online networking solutions. I just chalk it up to the ol’ Nintendo charm. Ninjala is another multiplayer focused offering coming from GungHo Online Entertainment that seems poised to carry on this tradition. You may know some of their works such as TEPPEN, Let it Die, Puzzle & Dragons, and Ragnarok Odyssey.
Following its announcement many months ago, Ninjala has had two separate betas along with a healthy bit of PR from its developers via Dev Diaries that dive into the game’s mechanics, characters, aesthetics, gear, and future plans for the IP. Right away, Ninjala stood out to me with its bright, hyper active aesthetic and boisterous character designs; a traits that should stand out to fans of Nintendo’s very popular Splatoon series. In fact, no one would blame you for thinking that Ninjala was inspired by the former. Side by side, they appear quite similar. However, the similarities end right where they begin.
While Splatoon’s combat is primarily based on shooting and terrain navigation, Ninjala is melee based with certain skills and items offering some ranged alternatives. Another major difference is that Ninjala actually has a roster of characters to choose from, all with their own unique personalities and origin stories. I found this take to be more engaging than the nameless, palette swap inklings we’ve been forced to play as in both Splatoon games. Furthermore, you will be able to customize your favorite ninja’s skills and abilities via Shinobi Cards that you earn naturally by completing matches. The abilities garnered from these cards can range from granting you a full S-Burst even if you have no meter for it, to reducing the cool down for your ninja gauge while you hang onto walls.
Yes. Ninja Gum. Gum is a big proponent of Ninjala’s themes and aesthetics. In fact, in the wonderfully animated Origins short, Episode 0: -Ninja- Gum is Born , we see how and why gum has its unique properties in this world. In combat, you can use your gum as projectiles to ensnare your opponents, deflect attacks, and even power up your weapon once you’ve amassed a full S-Guage. I found myself wall running, double jumping, air comboing, and adapting to the nuances of a match quickly. In my very first match I landed in the Top 3 and moved onto win and/or place similarly the more I played.
Scattered throughout arenas are also destructible objects and flying drones that give you chunks of S-Energy when destroyed. There is a bit of baiting or cat and mouse that can be played with these drones, as everyone will be trying to snag them for themselves. I can’t tell you how often I was able to sneak up on foes too focused on collecting energy rather than paying attention to their surroundings. Over time, your Ninjutsu gauge will fill, and when it does you can unleash your most devastating attack. These attacks differ depending on the weapon you have equipped and can be a giant Gum Tornado or even a Super Sized Drill that would fit right in with an episode of Gurren Lagann.
Sound effects and animations are loud and exaggerated. In a good way. Hearing the crowd cheer and the announcer scream “IPPON!” as the words flash on your screen after successfully defeating an opponent never got stale and just ups the excitement. Characters have their own quips that they blurt out mid-combat, weapons have distinct effects, and the soundtrack is delightfully energetic.
After playing in both betas and experimenting with different loadouts, I can safely say that if GungHo can deliver on the content front, Ninjala has plenty of legs to work with. Ninjala will be Free-To-Play when it launches on June 24th and is coming with a Battle Pass and optional Season Pass. This isn’t surprising considering that we’re seeing more and more F2P games adopting the Battle Pass format. Thankfully, any content you get from these passes is purely cosmetic and only serves to enrich your experience and not give anyone an advantage for spending a few dollars.
I’ll certainly be giving Ninjala a fair shot when it officially launches and will be looking forward to seeing how GungHo plans to keep its community engaged while evolving the game. They’ve already gotten plenty of positive feedback so it would be folly to let all that goodwill go to waste. If you want to watch all the Dev Diaries and see a ton of gameplay footage you can click here to head to GungHo’s official page.
See you in the arena, Ninjas.