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Retro trappings in iOS games are no new phenomena, but when you take your inspiration from something
as odd as Super Mario Land from the Gameboy you've certainly decided to take the road
less traveled. 1-bit Ninja by Kode80 may look like this classic title, but mastering its
secrets will require a trip in the third-dimension.
The graphics and soundtrack aren't the only thing to be given a lo-fi treatment as players
can only 'move forward' and 'jump'. It's unusual for a skill based platformer to restrict your
mobility, but there's a good reason for it. Lying just beyond the 2D plane you're viewing
is a 3D world complete with passages and platforms otherwise hidden from view thanks to the normally
flat perspective. Swiping the top of the screen will reveal these secrets, but you won't have
a lot of time to mess around as some of the game's secrets are also time sensitive, requiring
players to make tricky jumps off enemies at the right location.
There's a big assumption that players coming in to 1-bit Ninja are already familiar with
the usual platforming tropes (for instance, you're never told to hold jump to bounce higher
off enemies) and this can be frustrating, especially when you're thrown to the beginning
of the level on each death. With that said, collecting the all important, hidden large-bits
is worthwhile as they unlock additional features including a 3D Anaglyph mode for those who
happen to have a spare set of colored-gel glasses lying around.
It's the restrictions that make 1-bit Ninja so compelling; forcing a single direction
requires players to learn a level's secrets before attempting to collect them and even
then you'll need to develop some keen timing to get the perfect run. Even if you're not
a completionist, watching a coin slip by is bound to tear at you, bringing you back for
more.
If you owned Super Mario Land or you like your platformers to be a bit more challenging,
you'll get a kick out of 1-bit Ninja.