Clumsy Ninja review

The Clumsy Ninja iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad app is filled with humor, fun, and imagination in its story, graphics, achievements, and interface. In a similar vein to The Karate Kid, a ninja must be trained to transform from a goofy, stumbling ninja-to-be to a ninja with deft moves and crazy skills. The bright, sophisticated graphics are inspired by Asian architecture and landscapes, and the light, airy soundtrack creates a fun ambience. The free download from the iTunes App Store will make you laugh, as you tickle your clumsy ninja’s belly.

You are guided by a sensei to lead your ninja on his journey. The delicate touch required to become less clumsy is reiterated in the gesture controls. A tap and drag will simply knock the ninja off his feet, so a finesse must be acquired and carried through each activity and achievement. When you touch a new location on the screen, your ninja walks to that place. To prepare your ninja for aerial stunts, you help him jump on trampolines and lift him with balloons tied to his legs and arms. For many of the activities, the appropriate timing of your gesture is critical to launch the ninja into the desired position. The gesture controls do require a lighter touch, but they are not overly complicated.

For each activity, the sensei explains the goal of the activity, the location, and the gesture required. In the lower left corner of the screen, the book icon contains the list of maneuvers the ninja must master. For each activity, there are several steps that you complete one-by-one. For example, when you sucker punch, you purchase a punching bag and hold it in an upright position for the ninja. Then, you must repair the bag and hit it in succession to complete the task. For each activity completed, you give your ninja a high-five and collect the coins.

The interface of the Clumsy Ninja iPhone app is clearly devoted to an immersion in the graphic surroundings, and it remains unencumbered by excessive, unnecessary icons. The camera icon in the upper left corner gives you a chance to photograph your ninja and share it to Facebook and Twitter. Your level is noted in a bar at the top of the screen. Your points earned and diamonds accumulated are neatly placed in the upper right hand corner. The inventory is accessed in the lower right hand corner. When you touch the inventory icon, a menu bar with icons emerges from the bottom of the screen. You can scroll through them to find what you need and tap to activate or purchase.

With the Clumsy Ninja iPhone app, you realize a ninja is just like the rest of us – plugging away and practicing to be our best selves. And, sometimes, we fall flat on our face.