Sudoku Ninja Review

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Sudoku Ninja Review

at 10:04 AM

Sudoku Ninja Review

By Jennifer Allen on June 2nd, 2011
Our Rating:

:: SIMPLE
Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Sudoku Ninja is a perfectly functional sudoku game but could do with something more than quirky looks to stand out from the crowd.

Developer: Socially Conscious Software
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.2
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4

Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replay Value Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.63 out of 5 stars

Combining Sudoku with ninjas isn’t necessarily the most obvious choice of genre merges. Ultimately the ninja motif doesn’t actually add much to the game either. The ninja references are mostly aesthetic rather than game changing. It does still mean that Sudoku Ninja is a reasonable enough Sudoku title if a little limited features wise.

The Sudoku element of Sudoku Ninja is much the same as countless other Sudoku titles. Players are provided with a pretty clear board to study and new difficulty levels are unlocked once three games are completed in each mode. The ninja element comes in the form of backgrounds and the fact that players ‘throw’ shurikens rather than numbers but in terms of controls, this doesn’t change anything.

The standard features are there such as the ability to pencil in numbers if the player isn’t certain of the correct answer. There’s a hint button to help player along the way too. Controls throughout are accurate and responsive. Scoring is based upon how long it takes a player to make each move, and how long it takes to solve the overall puzzle so it makes for an appropriate scoring system. The GameCenter achievements are also very fitting and provide a good basis for competition.

Everything is just right with Sudoku Ninja really. The only flaw is that it doesn’t hugely stand out. Everything is wholly functional right down to there only being 3 different difficulty modes, each offering a gradually more challenging experience. While players can at least change the tile theme, it’d be nice if some sort of twist was added to the Sudoku concept.

In Sudoku Ninja, it all just works but nothing stands out as amazing. Sudoku fans will enjoy it nonetheless and it’s certainly just what they could need, but others won’t see any need to have this in their collection.