Ninjin: Clash of Carrots is a game that the cynical can easily dismiss without a second thought. It has the art style of a trapper keeper. A lot of the jokes don’t land. And the controls could use a good polish. But if you temper expectations, and treat it like what it is and not what it “should” be, there is some fun to be had.
A Game Out of Its Era
There was a time in my life when I would download any digital-only game I could, playing games that most people would otherwise gloss over. Ninjin: Clash of Carrots feels right at home with that crowd of video games.
Repetition is the Name of the Game. The Name of That Game Being Repetition.
Ninjin: Clash of Carrots has a dirty little secret that it doesn’t want you to know about. It may have cute little cutscenes that add personality to even minor baddies you fight, but it is extremely repetitive. Given the nature of the type of game known as the endless runner, it feels as though this game’s gameplay belongs on a phone. For this reason, I’d advise that if you do get this game, you get it on the Switch, where you can play anywhere.
Being an endless runner is not the only way that Ninjin feels like a mobile game. It hides how repetitive it is by giving your brain a rush of dopamine with constant rewards for playing. It does this every time you beat a level and even when you lose a stage sometimes. You even get to keep the carrots (which are your currency) that you collected, when you lose. This makes it easy to save up and buy the most powerful weapons in the shop, early on.
Ninjin vs the Economy
But what shop is there in Ninjin? There exists a greedy Corgi pup who acts as shopkeeper. Every time you beat a stage, you can buy new weapons and items that boost your stats like health, stamina or how long your special lasts.
The swords have the same quirky personality as the rest of the game. Swords are not just swords, but also fish heads, anchors, leaves, and trunks of trees. You might think that this would be enough to keep you interested, but honestly, carrots are easy to come by. This means that if the shop has the strongest sword or ninja star that you’ve seen so far, it is easy to get. This means that most weapons and items the Corgi shows you, are useless.
It Could Still Be Worth Your Time
With gameplay that feels at home on your phone with other time-wasting games, hit detection that frustratingly misses the mark, and one of three music tracks playing during every single level on repeat, Ninjin Clash of Carrots feels good to play when you’re on the go and just want to waste a couple minutes. Like I said at the start of this review, if you know what Ninjin is, you may have no complaints. But with so many other good games out there, there are other, better games worth your time.
If you downloaded this game on your Nintendo Switch that you only play on the toilet or waiting for the bus, you can have a good time. Just don’t expect much more than an endless runner that constantly hits the reward center of your brain. It has a mildly humorous story with a cute aesthetic. I just can’t recommend this game to anyone looking for more than a simple time waster.
