When I-Ninja was first showcased, I wasn’t impressed. I saw it as a kiddy action game that was a rip off of Mario that sported poorly designed characters. Even when I played it at E3, I was left with a taste of mediocrity. When I received the copy for review, I wasn’t too excited, but a funny thing happened. As I watched this funny ninja hop around the screen, I became hooked! In fact, I fell in love with the game!

I-Ninja stars a funny espresso endued fighter named “ninja”. Accompanied by his sensei, he sets out to collect emblems that allow him to increase his belt colors and level up. As with any action adventure game, you can run, jump, swim, and punch your way through each level, but I-Ninja doesn’t stop there. You can run up walls or even grind down a rail. I-Ninja is an action gamer's dream. Along with his sword, which you can upgrade, he comes equipped with a grappling hook that allows you to swing on rings that are scattered trough the level. And what ninja would be complete with out patented ninja stars?

I-Ninja is packed with amazing environments. Each world you enter offers about five different levels that you must complete. The set up is very much like that of Mario 64 where you need to unlock certain areas to get to the next. The level designs in I-Ninja are top notch! Everything from factory settings to lush swamp type areas is here for players to explore. Once you complete a level, you can then play it again, this time racing against the clock for more money and bonuses.

So what separates I-Ninja from other action adventure games? One thing I loved about I-Ninja was its use of classic games from the past integrated into its gameplay. For example, Ninja must hop on a large ball and guide it through the level with out falling off, which is a lot like marble madness or Monkey Ball. Another fun level has you balancing on a barrel filled with gunpowder as you make your way through the level avoiding enemies as wall as flames of fire.

The look of I-Ninja is a simple yet effective cartoon style that is a pallet of colors that please the eye. Cut scenes done by the famous team of Don Bluth and Gary Goldman offer beautiful animation with a comedic backbone. Ninja's moves are smooth. His animations are all very well done and offer a very fluid movement. To accompany the look of I-Ninja, Namco was kind enough to throw in Dolby Pro Logic II as well as widescreen options.