Reviews// Mini Ninjas

Swapping between Ninjas is simple, and involves using the L1 button and a joystick. A 'dial' of characters appears, and you simply select the one you want and release the shoulder button to swap. Another tap of the shoulder button will return you to the previous character.

Spells, tools and weapons are swapped the same way, but using the right buttons, but you will have more than can fit on the speed-swap circle. So you choose your favourite five and the rest can be accessed from the select button menu. You'll probably want to swap out older, less powerful weapons and spells as you gain new ones.

Some levels may also need you to temporarily swap in a special spell that is not so useful elsewhere. This makes the game sound like a pretty traditional RPG, but it's way easier than it sounds. Both equipping and using a spell is a simple matter, and it would be refreshing if more advanced RPG's took a leaf out of Mini Ninjas' book in this area.

Each Minja has his own "super-move". Hiro's lets him fly at two opponents and deal (usually) deadly blows to them. As the game progresses and you level up, the number of targets you can attack in one super-move increases, and this becomes an extremely important part of your combat skills. Shun's super move is also extremely useful; he can shoot a single arrow that explodes in a pyrotechnic spectacular, but which will take out several opponents if aimed correctly.

You only get to perform three of these super-moves without having to recharge your energy bar. Recharging is easy enough, every enemy you kill leaves a small glowing sphere. Each of these builds your progress to the next level, but red ones also recharge your super-move energy bar. You do not need to fill the bar, really it's a three dots, to use the super-move. If you have one move, you can use one move. Very often, when killing several opponents with one super-move, one of them will drop a red orb, so it can be self-recharging.

Energy/progress orbs are also dropped by each animal you release. The samurai are capturing woodland animals to mutate (possibly using the transperambulation of pseudo-cosmic antimatter) into warriors. Each time you kill an enemy, they turn back into an animal, releasing an energy orb. But the levels are littered with animals trapped in cages, releasing these also releases energy orbs. Since orbs are the key to levelling-up, you'll want to release as many animals (and kill as many opponents) as you can.

As well as ninja skills, Hiro can perform Kuju magic. At first he has only one spell, that lets him detect Kuju Shrines. But if he uses this spell wisely (or even unwisely - it really only does one thing) he will be able to get more spells. The R2 button activates the currently selected spell, and if that is the Detect Shrine spell, two ethereal butterflies appear above Hiro, perform a couple of orientation orbits and then set off in the direction of the nearest Kuju Shrine. The Shrines are not always easy to find, and if you forget to use the Detect Shrine spell during a level, it is possible to overlook the shrine, and therefore not get the spell.

If an offering of a white flower is made at each shrine, Hiro is granted a new spell. These spells are typically much more useful in combat. They range from a simple fireball to more advanced spells like a wind wall that repels projectile attacks. Some are general purpose, and others are intended for defeating a specific type of opponent.

Using spells requires "Kei" energy. This is the third (along with Life and Super Move) progress bar that you need to keep an eye on. If you have Kei, you can perform a spell. Kei is gained by collecting the blue spheres dropped by fallen opponents.