Kunai Review:
Ever since the 1980s, when Ninjas became a staple of American pop culture, developers have been building video games around them. The ninjas are the "cool" characters; fast, agile combatants with a unique Japanese style. The power fantasy of the ninja is to quickly, confidently move through rooms, katana in hand, dispatching foes before they even know what hit them. Kunai, developed by TurtleBlaze, demonstrates this as well as any 2D game in recent memory.
You play at "Tabby", a Tablet with the inexplicable ninja skills. Set across a post-apocalyptic Metroid-style game, you set off to defeat the evil Robot overlord who has nearly wiped out all humanity on Earth. Its a pretty generic sci-fi plot, but its the kind of simple premise that anyone can grasp and carries us straight into the action.
What makes Kunai special, and what separates it from the million other Metrodvania-style indies out there, is hinted at right there in the title. Very shortly after you gain control of Tabby, you find a pair of Kunai. These are half Bionic Commando, half Ninja Five-O, controlled with their corresponding shoulder buttons, allowing you to zip and swing around the map. There's actually a decent skill ceiling to their usage, making traversal a very active element that's challenged over the course of the game. You gain new abilities that open even more movement options, such as the double jump and a dash that can go through enemies, that make you feel like a ninja badass.
Combat is similarly inspired. Your main weapon is a Katana, that starts with a Strider-style attack that can be mashed and deflect projectiles, but it can also be charged up for a homing attack on enemies and you zip across the screen slashing. Along with expanded movement options, you gain new sub-weapons like an electric shruiken that can stun enemies, or a pair of SMGs that can be used like a jetpack when fired down to cross otherwise uncrossable chasms. Enemy design is surprisingly varied, and grows in lethality as the adventure goes on. The game encourages mastery of utilizing your movement and combat abilities in tandem.
Progression is typical of Metroid-style games, with several distinct areas connected together. Every level is filled with unique combat or platforming challenges, and opens up when you earn new abilities. The Map and NPCs usually indicate where you're supposed to go next, but there's definitely some backtracking involved since there aren't any fast travel points. However, there are plenty of save stations, and just moving around the game is an absolute joy. Players can very quickly traverse areas with familiarity, katana bouncing off of enemies and kunai climbing around obstacles.
The world is drawn with a distinct, minimalist art style, reminiscent of the classic Game Boy, with smart color choices and detailed level design. While enemies are usually in dark, red hues, friendly NPCs litter the game in light, cool blue tones. These NPCs work both as navigation tools, but also add a bit of humor and character to the world. One cute touch is our protagonist, Tabby, is a Tablet, who's face is constantly making expressions depending on context. My favorite expression is the pure joy on his face when he finds one of the many Hats scattered through the game, a completely cosmetic addition that nonetheless is always exciting when you bump into one.
Kunai is as sharp and balanced as the blade Tabby wields. The team at Turtleblaze has taken that old school love for japanese action games and put them in a polished, modern package. It stands out from the crowd of indie platformers with a confident design and its slick ninja style.
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