few weeks back a representative from SouthPeak Games joined Shawn Smith – the creator of Shawnimals – at the Game Informer office to show off their first collaborative project, Ninjatown for the Nintendo DS. Even without knowing anything about the world of Shawnimals or the plight of Ninjatown, one thing was painfully obvious – the inhabitants of this imaginative world are sweet enough to make your stomach wrench. Because of this, it is easy to pass off Ninjatown as another fluff title for the touch-screen system. However, if you are able to look past the heart-studded, bubble-lettered logo and the obscenely cute characters, you will find a genuinely fun and addictive experience. Read on to learn more about Ninjatown and how you can help save the ninja clan from the clutches of an ever-growing evil.
About Shawnimals
First and foremost – to understand Ninjatown you need to step inside the mind of Shawn Smith. The self-proclaimed creative chimp of Shawnimals, Smith is a toy designer who has the honor of becoming the first in his industry to lend his roster of creative toy characters to a video game. Shawnimals started as a hobby venture in 2001, with a simple mission to bring Smith’s uniquely bizarre stuffed creatures to the masses. Now a thriving company with products sold nation-wide, Shawnimals is infiltrating the world of video games, comic books, clothing, vinyl figures and more.
While the jump from creating plush figures to embarking on a video game endeavor may seem daunting, Smith is the man for the job. Smith previously worked as part of the editorial staff for Electronic Gaming Monthly, and as a result knows what it takes to make a successful game. Smith explains that he has always been interested in both art and video games, and so leaving EGM to study art seemed to be trading one passion for another. Specializing in character-based art, Smith dreamt up the cast of Ninjatown prior to the project with SouthPeak Games. The sickeningly sweet characters already have a run of successful plush toys, stickers and apparel under their belts. You can check out Ninjatown goods and more Shawnimals products via their online store.
Game Basics and Story
On to the game basics. Ninjatown is currently under development by Venan Entertainment in partnership with Cashmere Productions, and is slated to be a DS exclusive. Publisher SouthPeak Games expects the action strategy title to release in October of this year, but no price or rating details have been released as of yet. Considering the most offensive material we witnessed in our demo was a pile of ninja droppings, we expect the final product to be fairly family-friendly.
The game follows the plight of the stuffed-with-fluff inhabitants of Ninjatown, who inconveniently live nestled between the Dark Forest and active volcano Mount Feroshi. Because of their precarious location, warding off evil seems to have become a staple for Ninjatown residents, which is only made possible by the fact that all its inhabitants are indeed ninjas. Each class of ninja in Ninjatown has its own unique set of skills, and as a community they have been able to defend their tiny plot of paradise thus far.
Ninjatown inhabitants tend to be self-secluded because of their secretive nature. Leaving the safety of their homes only in order to find Stealth Wheat – the secret ingredient in their ninja-star shaped cookies – Wee Ninjas are very rarely seen outside their little village. Ninjatown is comprised of only a few types of buildings; ninja huts, training dojo’s and Stealthscrapers are all the ninja community needs to thrive. In their time off they practice their ninja skills such as Fists of Tickle Fury, Candy Smoke Bomb and Heart Star Explosion.
The ninjas in Ninjatown lived a peaceful existence until one fateful day. When Mount Feroshi – the adjacent volcano we previously mentioned – erupts, it ushers in an army of sinister enemies lead by aptly named Mr. Demon. Faced with this full-scale onslaught of baddies, the inhabitants of Ninjatown must band together to ward off evil once and for all.
Characters
Warning: Being introduced to the Ninjatown residence for the first time may result in a case of cuteness overload. First we were introduced so some of the village staples who aid the fight in non-traditional manners.
Ol’ Master Ninja: Ol’ Master Ninja is never far from battle, as he watches from the top screen in his hot air balloon. Master Ninja primarily helps by directing his forces below, but may be used to intervene when things look most desperate.
Consultant Ninja: Consultant Ninja lost an arm in a lawn mower accident – or a deadly battle – it seems he is the only one that knows the truth. Without both arms, Consultant Ninja settles on aiding his friends with his formidable Power Point skills, which help plan out the best method of attack.
Melee ninjas: The Wee Ninja and Anti-Ninja are the town’s basic melee fighters. The Wee Ninja is essentially the basic infantry of Ninjatown, are well rounded and clad entirely in black. The Anti-Ninja – named for its decision to don bright orange robes – is stronger but slightly slower than the Wee Ninja.
Ranged Ninjas: Also introduced in the demo were the Sniper Ninja, White Ninja and Forest Ninja. All three types of ranged ninjas are perfect for taking down foes that inhabit the sky. The Sniper Ninja is parallel to the Wee Ninja in that it is the basic ranged unit in the town. Armed with slingshots and Wasabi peas, the Sniper Ninja is a fearsome opponent. The White Ninja uses ice and snow to assault oncoming baddies, which has an added effect of slowing down their constant onslaught. Forest Ninjas are quick to fire their acorn-tipped arrows, and are faster than any other ranged unit despite being slightly less powerful.
Other characters: While not playable in the demo, we were introduced to several other members of the ninja family via endearing character bios. We had a chance to meet Baby Ninja – who acts as a modifier character – the Business Ninja – who specializes in efficient attacks – and even Ninja Droppings – which are categorized as stealthy poo.
Bad Guys: Unfortunately, the forces of evil are as dynamic and diverse as the heroes of Ninjatown. Lead by Mr. Demon – the king of all bad ideas – Wee Devils, Zombie Ninjas, Lava Devils and Syrup Devils follow him into battle without hesitation. Similar to the inhabitants of Ninjatown, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some are melee fighters, some take to the skies, some are speedy and some are slow. However, they all have one thing in common – they need to be rid of to restore Ninjatown to the once peaceful place it was.