Game: Notebook Ninja Fights
Genre: Action, Platformer
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: Johnny Ginard
Controller Support: Partial
Price: UK £5.99 | US $5.99 | EU € 5,99
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Review code provided with many thanks to Johnny Ginard.
Doodle Ninja
Notebook Ninja Fights is a 2D action platformer with a striking art style. It’s a game that has some neat ideas that show promise in its description and trailers. In reality… it’s a buggy mess that’s not worth the short time it takes to complete its forty levels. Want to know more? Then read on.
The biggest praise I can give this game is in its initial presentation. It looks like the living embodiment of a student’s doodling daydream, attempting to stay awake during lessons. The game is set on what looks like math grid paper, and the enemies are just as random as the main ninja protagonist. Orcs, wizards, seagulls and, of course, buzzsaws because this is a 2D platformer.
I liked the small touch of leaves falling from the sky as you explore the levels. Even the game’s plot has that weird feel to it, like someone desperate to escape for forty minutes from the mundanity of real life. You play a ninja on a mission to save the princess from a vampire. Simple and gets the job done.
40 Bitesize Levels
Notebook Ninja Fights has 40 bitesize levels to play, where the goal is to ninja your way to the exit. This is usually a combination of melee combat and platforming. When you start, the game controls seem pretty solid. You can hit enemies with your ninja sword, throw a limited number of shurikens and dash. The dash feels pretty overpowered. If you get enough height, you can just spam it until you reach the end of the level. You can leap off walls, which feels harder to perform than it should.
Dotted throughout each level are some coins to collect, which can be used to revive after death or exchange on the main menu to up some stats. It makes a very good first impression with this presentation. But that quickly dissolves when you play it.
Bugs and Glitches Aplenty
So, let’s dig into the game’s leading problems. The entire experience is filled with bugs and glitches. I found it somewhat of a miracle that I could finish the entire experience in under 2 hours without my PC just crashing to the desktop in frustration.
Initially, the main menu would not accept controller inputs; I had to use the mouse to select each level. I also had to use the mouse to select the next level and advance dialogue on boss fights. It didn’t take long into the game until I noticed sprites would not appear.
During the tutorial, it says you can interact with objects in the environment. Even in the trailer, it appears you can hit these swinging axes. However, in the actual game I played, these just didn’t appear. Many of the hazards, platforms and potential secrets in hidden walls didn’t appear. I often died randomly, not knowing why, and I just had to gradually learn through trial and error the invisible area that would kill me.
Boss fights are just a mash of the attack button until they die, offering absolutely no challenge. When you finish a level, you get a 3-star rating, but who knows how you earn three stars? The game is challenging because of the various issues, but as long as you have enough coins, you can revive instantly and force your way through.
It’s all rather baffling that it’s available to buy in the state it’s in. Surprisingly, when I finished the game, it alluded to a part two. Whether or not that surfaces, I guess time will tell. Feels like part one needs some intensive fixing first. I guess a small portion of gamers will enjoy the bugs, but that’s not the experience I was looking for.
Conclusion: Scrap Paper
I do not recommend Notebook Ninja Fights. Even with its enormous faults, I can see the potential of this title, with its unique art design and potentially quick-to-the-point gameplay. Sadly, it seems the game that this could be will unlikely surface. According to Steam, this was originally released in March 2022 but recently patched this year to add controller support.
It feels like a lot of work is needed to make this the fun ninja game it could be. What I find more confusing is that the trailer presents this as a more polished experience. In reality, that is not the case. As it stands, you don’t need to play Notebook Ninja Fights. You’ll find more entertainment doodling in your own notebook and imagining your own game.
Final Verdict: I Don’t Like it
