Initial release date: August 14, 2024
Genres: Shooter game, Indie game
Developer: East Asiasoft Limited
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
Publisher: East Asiasoft Limited
Eastasiasoft is well-known in the gaming community for producing little games at inexpensive pricing. They are usually rather simple things, with simple retro-style graphics and simple achievement points to collect.
To keep their momentum going, the latest game from their stable is Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast is a vertically scrolling shoot ’em up with a gameplay hook and retro-style graphics!
Are you ready to blast them?
Normally, at this point, I’d wax poetic about the plot, but there is none because there is no tale. And I mean literally none – we’re a ninja on a jetbike for some reason, and there are a variety of insect and sea creature-based foes approaching us. Fortunately, we can shoot, which allows us to destroy these animals. This is all we need to know.
The story is a wash, but what about the presentation? As you might expect from the introductory paragraph, it’s a retro-style game, with pixelated visuals for both our ninja and the foes. The playable area is a thin strip running vertically up the screen, and the game moves at a reasonable rate. The adversaries are well-designed, with a strong insect-based atmosphere, and the big bosses take the form of spiders and the like; if you are an arachnophobe, be careful.
However, it isn’t long until you notice a few difficulties, such as the screen becoming extremely cluttered and the foes becoming difficult to see, especially when everything is covered in bullets. It’s a strange one, and utilizing a specific weapon exacerbates the problem. I’ll get into the actual battle later, but suffice it to say that Tiny Pixels Vol. makes it difficult to see what’s going on. 1) Ninpo Blast. Consider this a wannabe Bullet Hell shooter, which is a poor thing.
In terms of gameplay, there are two different sections that flow into one another. There is the actual shooting side of things, which is self-explanatory, and then there is an upgrading area where you can use what you’ve gained.
Standard shoot-em-up fare
So, starting with the shooty part (which is where the fun begins), our jetbike-riding ninja pal has a couple tricks up their black sleeves. We have a number of ninja-based weapons at our disposal, including kunai knives, shuriken, and a katana. Surprisingly, our ninja does not throw any of these weapons; instead, they are shot from the jetbike. The kunai fires a single shot from the front by default, but the shuriken fire in three directions. The katana serves as the game’s smart bomb, eliminating all minor foes on the screen, hurting bosses, and finally destroying all enemy projectiles at once. It has a recharge time, shown by a ring that fills up around your jetbike; once full, unleash hell.
As we progress through the shooty bit (that’s the technical phrase; I can’t call it “story mode”), various opponents are blasted to bits, dropping cogs; large objects that we must collect. These become useful once we die (which will happen frequently in the early stages of the game), granting us access to the Upgrade menu, where we may spend these cogs to improve various parts of our craft. If you are a masochist, you can gain extra health, boost the potency of your weapons, unlock different jetbikes, and fight more bosses. Obviously, having more powerful weapons and higher health makes things simpler in the shooty section, so with some light grinding, we can soon turn our ninja into a bug-slaying machine.
And growing stronger is always a good thing, as Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast is generated at random, including the bosses you’ll fight; one run will be the enormous spider, the next a kind of cocoon creature, and so on. Even the usual adversaries appear at random, adding to the game’s length.
Can be a little complicated.
Want to achieve something? You’re in luck: Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast goes live with 2000 Gamerscore up for grabs. While the bulk of them are simple to obtain, there are a couple that need progression in the game, so it isn’t a given, which is a welcome difference.
Overall, Tiny Pixels Volume. 1 – Ninpo Blast delivers on its promise of being a retro-styled shoot ’em up with a rather powerful hook. It isn’t groundbreaking, but as the first of a promised series of Tiny Pixels games, it establishes a good standard.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 75%
Controls: 80%
Aesthetics: 82%
Content: 76%
Accessibility: 78%
Value: 74%
Overall: 77%
GOOD
Summary: “Tiny Pixels Volume 1: Ninpo Blast” immerses players in a colorful pixelated universe full of fast-paced action and entertaining gameplay. As a ninja, players must navigate skillfully crafted stages, using precise movements to defeat obstacles. The adorable pixel art style improves the overall experience, making it more visually appealing and enjoyable to explore. While the game might use more content and better plot, it is a pleasant adventure for aficionados of the genre. Overall, “Ninpo Blast” is a strong introduction into the action-platforming genre, with a great blend of skill and appeal.