Ninjabread Man
Encyclopedia
Ninjabread Man is a platform
video game from English
developer/publisher Data Design Interactive
. The game was an original new Zool
game, but due to its poor quality, the Zool license was dropped.
The game was released on the PlayStation 2
and Microsoft Windows
in Europe in July 2005. A port for the Wii
was released on September 21, 2007 in Europe, September 27 in Australia, and October 3 in North America. Ninjabread Man was published as part of Data Design Interactive's 'Popcorn Arcade' brand of Wii games.
platformer
. There are three levels in the game, plus a tutorial level. In order to proceed to the next level, players must collect eight power rods to activate a teleporter. When the player completes a level and plays it again, a menu appears with a second mode available, ‘Score Pickups’. If the level is completed again in this mode, the player will unlock ‘Time Attack’ mode. Completion of this mode unlocks the ‘Hidden Pickups!’ alternative mode. Several comic attacks appear in the game, such as the Samurai Sword attack that reduces enemies to jam.
version of the game has a 31% average rating on GameRankings, while the Wii version has an average of 17%. On Metacritic
, the Wii version of the game has an average score of 20/100, based on 6 reviews. The PC version of the game was not reviewed by any major publication. Despite the negative reception of the first game, on January 23, 2008, a sequel titled Ninjabread Man II: Blades of Fury was announced.
IGN
gave the Wii version a score of 1.5/10, saying: "Is Ninjabread Man actually a good game? No chance. It’s buggy, often completely broken, somehow manages to have frame issues in tiny levels, and is completely ruthless if (and when) younger players die." Thunderbolt
gave it 1/10, citing the game's length and the unimaginative use of the character as key flaws, "Ninjabread Man could be a cool guy with a bad attitude, in a stark and ironic contrast to his surroundings. He could be the Jack Bauer
of the bakery, but instead our hero is silent and lifeless."
Screwattack
made it a SAGY nominee for "Worst Multiplatform Game of 2007", blaming the quality assurance
testers for not pointing out the flaws.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game from English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
developer/publisher Data Design Interactive
Data Design Interactive
Data Design Interactive was a United Kingdom based video game developer and video game publisher. It was founded in 1983, became a limited company in 1999 and ceased trading in 2009. It developed games on the multiple games platforms including PC and consoles...
. The game was an original new Zool
Zool
Zool is a video game originally produced for the Amiga by Gremlin Graphics in 1992.Zool was intended as a rival to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. It was heavily hyped upon its initial release, including being bundled with the newly launched Amiga 1200, although not the AGA version with enhanced...
game, but due to its poor quality, the Zool license was dropped.
The game was released on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
in Europe in July 2005. A port for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
was released on September 21, 2007 in Europe, September 27 in Australia, and October 3 in North America. Ninjabread Man was published as part of Data Design Interactive's 'Popcorn Arcade' brand of Wii games.
Plot
According to the back of the box art, Candy Land is under attack by Hordes of snapping cupcakes, angry bees, and jelly monsters that have taken over the land. Ninjabread Man must stop the evil army of monster cakes.Gameplay
Ninjabread Man is an action-adventureAction-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
platformer
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
. There are three levels in the game, plus a tutorial level. In order to proceed to the next level, players must collect eight power rods to activate a teleporter. When the player completes a level and plays it again, a menu appears with a second mode available, ‘Score Pickups’. If the level is completed again in this mode, the player will unlock ‘Time Attack’ mode. Completion of this mode unlocks the ‘Hidden Pickups!’ alternative mode. Several comic attacks appear in the game, such as the Samurai Sword attack that reduces enemies to jam.
Reception
Ninjabread Man received unanimously negative reviews upon release. The PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version of the game has a 31% average rating on GameRankings, while the Wii version has an average of 17%. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the Wii version of the game has an average score of 20/100, based on 6 reviews. The PC version of the game was not reviewed by any major publication. Despite the negative reception of the first game, on January 23, 2008, a sequel titled Ninjabread Man II: Blades of Fury was announced.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the Wii version a score of 1.5/10, saying: "Is Ninjabread Man actually a good game? No chance. It’s buggy, often completely broken, somehow manages to have frame issues in tiny levels, and is completely ruthless if (and when) younger players die." Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt (website)
Thunderbolt is an independent videogames website that was launched on November 20, 2000 by Philip Morton . Thunderbolt publishes reviews, previews and features covering the major gaming platforms, particularly consoles...
gave it 1/10, citing the game's length and the unimaginative use of the character as key flaws, "Ninjabread Man could be a cool guy with a bad attitude, in a stark and ironic contrast to his surroundings. He could be the Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer
Jack Bauer is the main protagonist of the American television series 24. His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a member of the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit based in Los Angeles, and working with the FBI in Washington, D.C...
of the bakery, but instead our hero is silent and lifeless."
Screwattack
ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
made it a SAGY nominee for "Worst Multiplatform Game of 2007", blaming the quality assurance
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, or QA for short, is the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service or facility to maximize the probability that minimum standards of quality are being attained by the production process...
testers for not pointing out the flaws.
Sequel
Despite the negative reception of the first game, on January 23, 2008, a sequel titled Ninjabread Man II: Blades of Fury was announced. Not much information nor a release date has been issued. But it has been revealed that Data Design has created a website asking for the fans of the game to give ideas for the sequel.See also
- Anubis IIAnubis IIAnubis II is an action game from UK based developer Metro 3D. The Wii version was worked on by Data Design Interactive. The game was published by Conspiracy Entertainment in the United States...
, another Data Design Interactive game criticized for being merely identical to Ninjabread Man.