Ninjala

 Switch
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 168 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 168
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 168
  3. Negative: 42 out of 168
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  1. Lupazzz
    Jul 2, 2020
    9
    One of the best and innovative battle royal, very fun and simply to comprend.
  2. SoyMuyRadiante
    Jun 25, 2020
    10
    Tiene futuro, la verdad para que en su día de lanzamiento haya juntado el millón de jugadores esta genial. Sus gráficas están bien.
  3. Animespora
    Jul 4, 2020
    10
    Potential is there and the music and lore are fantastic or even epic at times. The Rock Paper Scissors mechanics are a bit hit and miss but that’s kind of the charm of the game. It’s Mario Party inspired scoring system at the end of a match needs work though. I love the game and hope they keep evolving it further.
  4. AlecFair
    Jun 24, 2020
    7
    This game is free to play which is understandable but at the same time the microtransactions are really bad and hinder the full enjoyment of the game but not too much and this is an early review and my opinion and review may change as time progresses with this. This is also only the review for the free to play portion and does not include the story mode.

    The gameplay is pretty decent. I    This game is free to play which is understandable but at the same time the microtransactions are really bad and hinder the full enjoyment of the game but not too much and this is an early review and my opinion and review may change as time progresses with this. This is also only the review for the free to play portion and does not include the story mode.

    The gameplay is pretty decent. I did ten matches and made top three 4 times first place twice and 7th place was my lowest ranking in the battle royale matches. Simple gameplay with two modes being team mode and battle royale. The battle royale which is an eight man slap fight is pretty fun and chaotic and unlike most br games you don't have a single life but instead you are fighting to get points by doing damage, stylish kills, defeating bots, etc. Team battle is your typical four vs four that goes by the same point concept.

    You have a choice of three weapon types being sword, hammer, and yoyo weapons each weapon types having four weapons each for a total of twelve weapons you can use each with their own abilities and skills to add diversity to your setup. You also have ninja cards which add special perks like lifesteal, enemy detect, start with max S meter, etc.

    The flow of combat, you have your light combo attack, then you have your heavy attack that launches enemies in which after you can press the light attack to pursue your target to flow up with more combos. You have a dodge and the one thing they add to this game is a parry which is a rock paper scissor type thing in which you press a direction and hope you can slap your enemy away but at the same time other enemies cannot attack you during this lock up but instead get blown away and lightly stunned. You also have skills you can use depending on the weapon you have a (Y) button ability and a bubble juitsu combination you can do by holding the (ZL) trigger followed by the attack button and it varies depending on the weapon you are using or an air boost by holding same trigger and pressing the jump button while mid air. You also have an S meter that you can expand by destroying apple like robots and when you expand it to a certain amount you can hold (ZL) then press (A) to increase the size of your weapon allowing for longer range to your attacks. And you can also press (A) to hide in the environment by disguising yourself as a nearby object which can lead to funny moments and tactical ambushes. But my only gripe with the combat is the lockon camera is pretty jank and if you are trying to lock onto a weaker target in a group fight you will lock onto the nearest person sometimes or even one of the apple bots.

    But the thing that bogs this game down badly is the microtransactions for cosmetics. Yes this is a free game and they need some way to make money but putting all the clothing behind a fortnite esque cash shop and only requiring cash is slimy. And you can get cosmetic skins for all the weapons as well but you only get them through two methods. One being finishing matches and leveling up where you get a weapon skin and the other being the gatcha machine they have in the cash shop that requires either cash currency or 300 gold medals that you only get from winning matches. But the worst part of these weapon skins is the fact that they are consumable and once you use a skin for the match you cant use it again until you get lucky enough to get another one and there are a lot of skins for weapons so the chance of getting your favorite skin again is rare as heck and more than likely you will not use the skin at all. It does not matter if cosmetics does not affect the performance of a player in a game but when you have a game that promotes Splatoon like fashion, its really scummy when you have no way to look unique unless you pony up the real life money or buy the season pass and instead be dressed like everyone else but just have a different face, hairstyle, and hair color.

    With limited stages, the games graphics look really nice, and have that Splatoon vibe but you are limited to two areas at the moment of writing this one being a rooftop arena where the battle royale quick play takes place and the city which is a maze of buildings and bridges and looks pretty cool.

    The music is really nice where you can choose a track that plays every match by equipping it from the appearance menu and you get new tracks by leveling up or getting it from the season pass and cash shop.

    The game is decent at best but the microtransactions can turn a lot of people away and hopefully we can get clothing and other things through leveling up more in the game and they give us other options of getting things in the future as they add more to the game.

    If you read this large wall of text thank you for the time. I will still be playing this game from time to time and change the review and maybe the score as I play more and make new discoveries.    … Expand
  5. Im_not_toronto
    Jun 29, 2020
    10
    It has a lot of classic Fighting games DNA. The characters are charming and unique. It is best NSW game of the year.
  6. Freecartitos
    Jun 26, 2020
    3
    The game had a nice concept with unique ideas but in the end they didnt work out.
    The gameplay is mostly luck based since the parry is like playing rock paper scissors and there is no guard button and sometimes they can hit you without knowing and cant do a parry.
    And dont even bother using your money on the game the jala con be used in a gumball machine which is purely lick based and    The game had a nice concept with unique ideas but in the end they didnt work out.
    The gameplay is mostly luck based since the parry is like playing rock paper scissors and there is no guard button and sometimes they can hit you without knowing and cant do a parry.
    And dont even bother using your money on the game the jala con be used in a gumball machine which is purely lick based and the color variants can only be used certain times and some weapons are broken like the hammer breaks your weapon.
    And the servers sucks there are tons of errors that they do not explain what they are.    … Expand
  7. MistressEve
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    Let's preface that the game is not like Splatoon, Fortnite or any other battle royale/team online game. It's both of those things, made better. Ninjala is a game that handles the control schemes similar to a beat 'em up, with each and every weapon having unique skill kit sets and unique attack animations for each one. The gameplay is very fast paced and well executed, with a few lagLet's preface that the game is not like Splatoon, Fortnite or any other battle royale/team online game. It's both of those things, made better. Ninjala is a game that handles the control schemes similar to a beat 'em up, with each and every weapon having unique skill kit sets and unique attack animations for each one. The gameplay is very fast paced and well executed, with a few lag hiccups here or there. I really love how they used a rock paper scissors mechanic for battling against an opponent who is blocking, as something like that has not been done before in any other game I played. Sure it's a bit unbalanced currently, but the game recently came out so there would possibly be implemented patches introduced later as the season goes on.

    I mostly see the complaints of this game being that "the premium currency is worth too much" and "the singleplayer should be free". First off, the currency is worth the same amount as it is in Fortnite, and secondly, the singleplayer is optional and way cheaper than the singleplayer campaign in Fortnite.

    Most players also complain that the gacha system for the game is unfair and expensive. 100 Jala is easily obtainable through leveling tiers and spending 100 Jala on 10 pulls of the gacha is remarkably cheap compared to most free games that have a gacha system. I personally find the motif quite enjoyable as you can obtain new gum from this system, and it's like pulling a gumball out of a gumball machine.

    Lastly, the game was only released four to five days ago upon writing this review and I am super excited to see new developments from this game. It's fun, engaging and especially fun to play with friends who can't afford games like Splatoon 2, Smash Bros or Mario Kart. I recommend downloading this game if you just want something new in the Battle Royale genre that isn't a third/first person shooter.    … Expand
  8. Gamatkd
    Jul 9, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Is a game that has interesting art and graphics, but I believe is a meh game that had potential, but right now is a game that is very repetitive with a fighting mechanic that depends on randomness and luck, something that makes it very annoying. Had potential, but it failed.… Expand
  9. JoaoColombinho
    Aug 26, 2020
    10
    this game has a gigantic potential power. The multiplayer and free-to-play options are way good for a newborn game. Multiplayer with friends is so much fun and the cosmetic prices are quite fair, comparing with other games with microtransations. Games like Ninjala just need a big audience to get a chance to shine and become bigger. League Of Legends and Fortnite didn't start as polishthis game has a gigantic potential power. The multiplayer and free-to-play options are way good for a newborn game. Multiplayer with friends is so much fun and the cosmetic prices are quite fair, comparing with other games with microtransations. Games like Ninjala just need a big audience to get a chance to shine and become bigger. League Of Legends and Fortnite didn't start as polish as they are now, so, if you don't like the game, just give time and love, so it can grow to a big game… Expand
  10. Megakrage
    Jun 24, 2020
    5
    Great concept. and i really wanted to like it. but its not fun to me. the combat is all over the place and it feels like you win out of luck more then skill. with the super moves just destroying. i was really hoping for it to be a good game. but i was just disappointed instead. maybe later i might give it another try. but it just doesn't feel like the mechanics work well. it just feels,Great concept. and i really wanted to like it. but its not fun to me. the combat is all over the place and it feels like you win out of luck more then skill. with the super moves just destroying. i was really hoping for it to be a good game. but i was just disappointed instead. maybe later i might give it another try. but it just doesn't feel like the mechanics work well. it just feels, unbalanced.… Expand
  11. Nova_Cis22
    Jun 25, 2020
    10
    Es entretenido, me gustaría verlo en todas las consolas con crossplay, le tengo fe al juego
  12. Alexcs
    Jun 25, 2020
    0
    I have played this game extensively and through dozens of games learned that it realistically all boils down to pure luck. 50+% of your duels will end up with a rock-paper-scissors style prompt where you either gain or lose a big advantage based on luck, and if your luck isn't good one match then you have practically no shot of winning it. I think that if they rework this mechanic to whereI have played this game extensively and through dozens of games learned that it realistically all boils down to pure luck. 50+% of your duels will end up with a rock-paper-scissors style prompt where you either gain or lose a big advantage based on luck, and if your luck isn't good one match then you have practically no shot of winning it. I think that if they rework this mechanic to where it's not based purely on luck, then it would be much more enjoyable and skill based. For now, I'll be sticking to Splatoon, but best of luck to the developers on improving this game because the concept has real potential.… Expand
  13. jcboyer515
    Jun 26, 2020
    4
    Unimpressive ftp game. Don't be surprised seeing this game is filled with microtransactions, just like any other "free" game. If not for the silly high expectations I made for myself, it's possible I could've brought myself to enjoy this bite sized online game. The artistic design definitely has a charm to it. I'd say it's very ARMS & Splatoon inspired, which is also why I might've hadUnimpressive ftp game. Don't be surprised seeing this game is filled with microtransactions, just like any other "free" game. If not for the silly high expectations I made for myself, it's possible I could've brought myself to enjoy this bite sized online game. The artistic design definitely has a charm to it. I'd say it's very ARMS & Splatoon inspired, which is also why I might've had those high hopes. For some reason the game was unveiled two whole years ago at 2018's E3, & weirdly overhyped even for back then. The game's online is mostly stable, occasionally giving an error code very similar to the abysmal demo GungHo ran briefly before the official release. Combat is simple & the gameplay seems quite unbalanced. So if you're easy to please & short on cash, Ninjala might be worth a little bit of your time. Wasn't that into it, personally.… Expand
  14. KrolMyruh
    Jun 28, 2020
    0
    At launch, this game just doesn't deliver. There seems to only ever be one map which you play on (I'm yet to get the city map), which makes the gameplay terribly repetitive due to a lack of environmental variety. The way this game handles weapon skins is also baffling. They're consumables for some reason so when you open up a loot box (yes, they have those), you might just get a reward youAt launch, this game just doesn't deliver. There seems to only ever be one map which you play on (I'm yet to get the city map), which makes the gameplay terribly repetitive due to a lack of environmental variety. The way this game handles weapon skins is also baffling. They're consumables for some reason so when you open up a loot box (yes, they have those), you might just get a reward you can only use 10 times (and yes, you can pay for loot boxes which makes this reward even more crap). The menus are also very confusing when you first start and the tutorial offer lots of information, but it doesn't take the time or effort to show you how to do all that stuff, so the new player introduction will most likely be terrible as it was for me. On a more positive note though, this game looks amazing and I really enjoy the different combos, weapon skills and variety. The rock paper scissors party system is also a lot of fun to play with. I just wish there were more environments which allowed people to battle on walls and hide more effectively. Hopefully they add more maps asap because 2 is absolutely unacceptable, even in a f2p game of this nature.… Expand
  15. feralheart
    Jun 30, 2020
    2
    The game looks great, sounds looks great, but...
    BUT... the combat is inballanced and the monetization is greedy. The Battle Pass is MEH, they game 3x100 Jala for free (what's value is 3Eur) for the deploy and the 1million and 2million celebration, and there is a FRICKING GACHA MACHINE!!!! And for the first draw you have 95% chance that you get only a one match only weapon skin. Further    The game looks great, sounds looks great, but...
    BUT... the combat is inballanced and the monetization is greedy. The Battle Pass is MEH, they game 3x100 Jala for free (what's value is 3Eur) for the deploy and the 1million and 2million celebration, and there is a FRICKING GACHA MACHINE!!!! And for the first draw you have 95% chance that you get only a one match only weapon skin. Further rolls only gives these one match only weapon skins. WHO THE FRICK GIVES ONE EUR/USD FOR A WEAPON SKIN WHAT YOU CAN SEE ONLY FOR ~5 MINUTES?    … Expand
  16. catcatman123
    Jun 25, 2020
    0
    This game sucks it may look fun but it's not fun. imagine this scenario you spend real money to get the in-game currency and you buy a weapon skin well you can only use it 3 times before it's gone forever
    don't spend money on this game it is a waste of money
  17. Kas_scientist
    Jul 4, 2020
    0
    The graphics are great, but the mechanics, combat, grinding, pay to custom, etc.. are just really horrible and disappointing
  18. ToraluZayev
    Jul 10, 2020
    1
    The parry system breaks the game. The visuals are mediocre. The menu system is busy and annoying. More care was needed.
    .
  19. Horizor
    Jul 21, 2020
    0
    Every match in this game is the same. Parry System is RNG styled, much dislike as it's the main system in this game. The game is pretty annoying overall, gacha system is part of this game too. Nothing more than 0.
  20. riverkev95
    Jun 25, 2020
    7
    Es una apuesta interesante de un juego entretenido, con un estilo muy marcado y variadas opciones de personalización. El gran problema de este juego es la dependencia de la suerte en su mecánica de combate mano a mano. Es terrible depender de un piedra, papel y tijerapara saber quien vence en un enfrentamiento directo. Se pierde el enfoque de la habilidad en esa situación específica.
  21. ajgbcool
    Jul 1, 2020
    4
    This game would be the "Splatoon" killer, but is really boring and the user mechanics are like others games like Paladins or Overwatch. Would be better.
  22. Patters84
    Jun 25, 2020
    8
    It's honestly not good at all. the idea is good, but the rest of it is **** two maps, both look the same. two maps at launch. What the christ? combat is also awful. I wail on a guy for days and I get oneshotted. I beat his ass in a clash, I still die if I make a mistake yet im the one hitting him in said clash repeatedly. Game explains very little. It is FTP and that couldn't be moreIt's honestly not good at all. the idea is good, but the rest of it is **** two maps, both look the same. two maps at launch. What the christ? combat is also awful. I wail on a guy for days and I get oneshotted. I beat his ass in a clash, I still die if I make a mistake yet im the one hitting him in said clash repeatedly. Game explains very little. It is FTP and that couldn't be more obvious if it tried. Sticking to splatoon 2, where at least if I die it always feels fair.… Expand
  23. Henry_russell
    Jun 25, 2020
    3
    Honestly, the only thing i enjoy about ninjala is the way it looks. It’s bland and boring and the bubble gum mechanic is extremely cringeworthy. The characters are supposed to be “cool” but they fail in every regard. The gameplay literally comes down to button mashing and one of the fame mechanics is actually just rock papaver scissors. That’s an actual game mechanic. I had pretty highHonestly, the only thing i enjoy about ninjala is the way it looks. It’s bland and boring and the bubble gum mechanic is extremely cringeworthy. The characters are supposed to be “cool” but they fail in every regard. The gameplay literally comes down to button mashing and one of the fame mechanics is actually just rock papaver scissors. That’s an actual game mechanic. I had pretty high hopes that this would become the next splatoon, then again, that’s what i thought arms would be. At least the characters are actually pretty cool in that game. It also includes in game currency which you can buy with real money, which is a scummy way of getting players to spend tons of money on cosmetics that are definitely aren’t worth it. Basically, it’s disappointing and has micro transactions which shows that this game is just a cash grab.… Expand
  24. KMilzzz
    Jun 25, 2020
    3
    First off, this game is NOTHING like Splatoon (except for the logo, and the weapons having kits I guess?). As someone with 1600+ hours on Splatoon, I didn't really enjoy this game. First off, the combat feels clunky and button-mashy, but that's what I anticipated from the trailers. I've seen a lot of people say that it seems like people win based on luck more than skill because it's notFirst off, this game is NOTHING like Splatoon (except for the logo, and the weapons having kits I guess?). As someone with 1600+ hours on Splatoon, I didn't really enjoy this game. First off, the combat feels clunky and button-mashy, but that's what I anticipated from the trailers. I've seen a lot of people say that it seems like people win based on luck more than skill because it's not clear what's going on (like what attack your opponent is doing) and it feels unbalanced. I don't see this game having a great competitive scene in the future just because the combat feels so imprecise when compared to something like Splatoon, and it doesn't seem like there's a high skill ceiling. Second, what is even the point of weapon skins if they go away after a game? Also why can't I join a friend's Battle Royale lobby online? There are just little things that irk me about this game, and I'm not a huge fan of the characters or busy UI so I'll probably pass on this. Definitely the kind of game that was fun to try with a friend as something to do for a few hours, but I don't really see myself coming back to this.… Expand
  25. RandoNinjaDood
    Jun 26, 2020
    0
    Good, fun, colorful game... with confusing controls and glitchy combat at least half the time. This "Parry" mechanic sometimes doesn't work correctly even if the game says you won the duel. There's also plenty of times you get stunlocked while no one else does :. When all's said and done, hopefully this mess gets the gum out of its hair and fix these bugs/glitches (and maybe add some wayGood, fun, colorful game... with confusing controls and glitchy combat at least half the time. This "Parry" mechanic sometimes doesn't work correctly even if the game says you won the duel. There's also plenty of times you get stunlocked while no one else does :. When all's said and done, hopefully this mess gets the gum out of its hair and fix these bugs/glitches (and maybe add some way to make weapon skins permanent after collecting a certain amount of a color *hint hint*).… Expand
  26. Cybercotleta
    Jun 28, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Начну с механики боёв, это просто камень, ножницы, бумага, сначала я думал что у меня ничего не получается, но потом понял что это чистый рандом. Баланса среди оружия нет одно намного сильнее остальных, на карте с городом играть невозможно как только я присоединяюсь к комнате с этой картой пишет ошибку . До патчей играть не стоит а тем более покупать что-то внутри игры.… Expand
  27. Duhbeavs
    Jun 28, 2020
    2
    Played 2 games of it, cannot for the life of me figure out how to play.. yes I did the tutorial but it's like every game I go into people are already veterans. Either that or I'm just getting old. Either way I had no fun whatsoever with gameplay, characters and coated were dope tho.
  28. EinWaltz
    Jul 1, 2020
    1
    Clunky gameplay and controls, weird random rock-paper-scissors mini game that causes the fast paced frantic combat to come to a halt, art style was literally just stolen from Splatoon by a completely different developer, level design is boring, there's depth of tactics like there is in Splatoon, in summary it's just a **** Splatoon knockoff but at least it's free lol. Even then it's notClunky gameplay and controls, weird random rock-paper-scissors mini game that causes the fast paced frantic combat to come to a halt, art style was literally just stolen from Splatoon by a completely different developer, level design is boring, there's depth of tactics like there is in Splatoon, in summary it's just a **** Splatoon knockoff but at least it's free lol. Even then it's not worth your time.… Expand
  29. AJR_88
    Jul 5, 2020
    1
    The game is so **** bad..... only good part about it is that you don’t need online
  30. sbigor
    Jul 5, 2020
    2
    The only reason that I gave 2 on the score, it's because it's a free game. This game only worth for giving you desire to play Splatoon 2.
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Edge Magazine
    Jul 16, 2020
    70
    There's not doubt that chasing the 'Ippon Master' bonus is where the most fun is to be had. [Issue#348, p.98]
  2. 3DJuegos
    Jul 14, 2020
    75
    One of the best arena fighters available for Switch. Vibrant battles, colorful arenas and unique weapons are its best features. A very good free to play attempt by GungHo Online Entertainment.
    Read full review
  3. Destructoid
    Jul 10, 2020
    65
    Ninjala definitely has the look of something I should be in love with. It's bright and colorful, and the world-building happening here is genuinely fun. What's not fun are the poorly implemented mechanics that can ruin the fast and fluid combat. There is a solid template for something great here, and if GungHo can iron out all its wrinkles, it might have a genuine blockbuster on its hands.
    Read full review
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