As bland as they come
Taking its cues from classic platformers like Sonic, Mario and Commander Keen, Lightweight Ninja is an incredibly bland little game that is difficult to recommend for anyone but the most forgiving of gamers. It's surely intended for younger audiences, but even they are likely to find it a little too easy going and are just as likely to get bored as older players. You take control of Ty, a genetically enhanced ninja who has just completed his training and is now sent out into the real world to complete his first set of missions. However, as he is about to find out, life is not always as simple as you'd like it to be. What follows is a fairly standard side scrolling platformer but which tones down any hint of violence so that the game is as inoffensive as possible. About the only weapon available here that fits in with the theme is a throwing star, with others including acorns and paper darts, and which are used to take out the various cute and cuddly beasts you'll encounter. Lightweight Ninja really is about as bland as it's possible to be in the gaming world, and has little to recommend it to anyone but the most fanatical of platform players. It looks reasonable, with some pleasant sprites and environments, but everything has been taken from Platforming 101, with the usual array of levels and enemies which show no spark of originality. Likewise, the gameplay is the very familiar mix of jumping, collecting, throwing things and so on, and although it's mildly diverting at first, it only takes about five minutes to long for something more. Best avoided unless you're really struggling for something to play.
