Chibi Ninja Shino-kun: Treasure of Demon Tower

Great game. The depth really comes out with the versatility of movement options, they give you a multitude of ways to get through every level. Excellent pixel art and level design too.

Tight little precision platformer with fun mechanics allowing to go through levels in different ways.

[h1]10/10 - Go Ninja! [/h1] A game that brings both familiar comforts and small-but-exciting twists to the retro platformer genre, Shino-Kun allows you to take risks in the name of speed as well as slowly calculate the perfect time to get through without a scratch. You might find yourself spending far more hours in-game than you anticipate, depending on what your stance on 100% completion is. Ignoring the achievements and Yin-Yang collectibles, the game can be ripped through in a relatively short period (especially if your movement tech skill rises quickly), but the extras that demand practice and precision guarantee several hours of play. Shino-Kun shines best when you set out to leave nothing behind as you ascend the Demon Tower. I recommend going for all collectibles to get the most out of this experience, as there are unique rewards for doing so! Even if you decide not to get every last item, those interested in speedrunning will find that movement was designed with you in mind. Overall, the game is well-polished, very fun, and offers a healthy serving of old school run-and-jump action with a ninja twist! While ninjas are synonymous with silent assassins wielding katanas and throwing shuriken, Shino-Kun is unique in that he only uses his powerful kicks and a kunai rope dart to defend himself against threats and traverse each floor. Despite a lack of weaponry for the player to use, some enemies fill that void and remind you that you're not the only ninja on the block. This makes the world feel a bit more immersive and often forces you to change your movement strategy, especially when aiming to beat a previous time for a given section. Do you force your way through with dive-kicks, maintaining as much momentum as possible? Can you afford to stop and send a shielded ninja off the edge to his death? Or would you rather avoid danger altogether and use your kunai rope dart to grapple onto the ceiling? The navigation options and differing approaches to combat in every floor become more apparent as you play, and this was a really fun discovery that I think most players will appreciate. They are just restrictive enough to prevent feeling overwhelmed with alternate playstyles while offering true freedom and flexibility in how you reach the goal. Working out how to get through every floor the quickest will test your knowledge and skill with all three of the aforementioned tactics, as you cannot depend on using just one strategy to win. The environments and music do well to evoke a sense of mystery and excitement, all while firmly seated in the retro aesthetic they each aim to provide. A limited color palette and the reuse of instruments to create new songs throughout the soundtrack remind one of the 16-bit era in every moment, especially the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Undoubtedly pixel-perfect and at times unforgiving, Shino-Kun delivers a platforming experience reminiscent of Super Mario World or the early Sonic titles. However, it stands on its own two feet in terms of design and execution, and that's always impressive to see in a modern release positively dripping in the 90s. I could even picture this in a late-80s arcade cabinet, considering the rapid-fire nature of moving through floor after floor and the potential to bring in friends to challenge your times and floor routing. Whether you're up for an hour-long sprint through a few floors or only have five minutes to spare, this game fits the bill in both cases. In terms of what I would change about the game, it's a resounding "nothing" - hence my 10/10 score! Love it all and hope to see a sequel in the future!

Lovely little game, thoroughly enjoying it. For any platformer like this, the controls are key, and it was really pleasing to find both keyboard and controller inputs spot on! Love the graphics style, backed up with some lovely animations, especially of the main character. And I did vibe to the chiptune soundtrack! For a game that costs less than two coffees, it's an easy thumbs-up. Strongly recommended.

I love the art style and the concept. The game is somewhat unforgiving and frustrating in a good way, like it makes you time and think about your path forward and you feel good about making it to the finish line. Easier to control with keyboard than a game pad in my opinion.

Meeegaaa! Uwielbiam takie platformówki. W starym stylu i ogromnym potencjałem na przeróżne speedruny. Mało ruchów, fajnie, że co 20 level w tej wieży, to nowy biom, który wprowadza jakieś utrudnienia. Dla ludzi którzy lubią platformówki a zwłaszcza te starsze, to jest pozycja OBOWIĄZKOWA. Uwielbiam znajdować takie perełki, gierka niemalże jak za darmo, zwłaszcza na przecenie. Jedyny minus, to że gierka zbyt wolno się rozkręca. Taki fajny poziom zaczyna się dopiero od 4 piętra w wieży. Czekam na dwójeczkę!!