Do you like vibrant colours, ninjas and importantly doughnuts? Well, I have the game for you! Developed by Dummy Dojo and published by Abylight Studi, Ninja Chowdown: Glaze of Glory is a quirky arcade-like game. The bosses at MKAU Gaming graciously handed me the controls to this vibrant title, and boy was it a treat. Get it? It’s a game about doughnuts and I said it was a treat… Anyway, let’s get into it.

It’s a typical day for Donatsu, our chubby ninja character, and he’s running late for work. Again. After completing the tutorial, Donatsu arrives at the Dough-Jo Donuttery, only to be scolded by his boss, Dango-Sensei, and just as things couldn’t get worse, an intruder bursts into the store, but who might that be?

None other than Sushi-Sam, who has stolen the Knownut! It’s up to you and Donatsu to retrieve the Knownut from the grasp of the Evil Food Clan members, and so your story begins.

Ninja Chowdown: Glaze of Glory is a simple-to-learn game, but it can be very difficult to master. The controls are straightforward, but there is a plethora of different things that you need to focus on, and these could be your ultimate undoing.

Now, I already know what you are thinking, “what are the controls since they’re so easy?” Well, my friend, I’m glad you asked. Firstly this game is only playable with a controller; no keyboard and mouse. Your character runs automatically, so you don’t need to stress about that. “A” is to jump or double jump, “X” is to throw your shuriken at enemies, and the left joystick is used to pick the direction in which you want to jump or throw things.

There are also power-ups in-game such as a defensive shield and a magnet, offering protection against projectiles and obstacles, or magnetically pulling the doughnuts towards you. There are also plenty of cute little pets, cool outfits, and many different items to hurl at your enemies, all of which are available for you to purchase.

To do so, you’ll need coins, each costing five hundred, to be exact. Using your ninja skills, defeat the members of the Evil Food Clans and collect doughnuts across 35 action-packed levels, each with multiple things to keep an eye out for.

The first few levels of each chapter start slowly with basic enemies, but as you progress, you’ll notice more and more enemies and obstacles that you need to defeat or avoid while simultaneously collecting doughnuts.

After making your way through these minor setbacks, there is a boss fight at the end of each chapter, and this is where the real fun begins. It’s the same as the previous levels, except the boss is throwing things at you, as well as dishing out special attacks you’ll need to avoid.

I did find certain boss fights to be a little easy, but they certainly weren’t boring and didn’t feel lacklustre. The levels are short and fast-paced, designed for replayability, and even if you speed through and complete the game, there are harder difficulties, so you can go back and try to get 100% on every level.

Ninja Chowdown: Glaze of Glory is a vibrant and colourful 2D pixel-art arcade game. Each chapter features different biomes that match each boss. Even the darker biomes, such as the lava biome where you face off against the Barbarian, are full of neon vomits and bright colours that still leave you feeling excited. They are an absolute joy to experience. Overall, the graphics are impressive, and I can’t wait to see what the developers at Dummy Dojo come up with next.

This brings me to my next point, the sound effects and soundtrack. All the bleeps, bloops, and explosions sound so full of energy that it is virtually impossible to be upset when playing this game. The sounds in Ninja Chowdown: Glaze of Glory are amazing. In general, the jumps, menu music and sound effects, took me back to being a kid playing Asteroids again.

The backing soundtrack was something I’ve only ever experienced in the likes of GTA or Mullet Mad-Jack, and the upbeat tones and tracks enhanced the experience by complimenting the bright visuals. I felt thoroughly impressed and enjoyed every moment of my time in-game, and I have to admit that I sat in the menu for quite some time getting my groove o

Ninja Chowdown: Glaze of Glory is an enjoyable 2D arcade-style game. With simple yet challenging controls, impressive graphics, vibrant colours, and upbeat sound effects, it comes highly recommended. Grab your Shinobi Shozoku and a handful of doughnuts, and you’ll be defeating the Evil Food Clan and retrieving the Knownut for Dango-Sensei in no time. Good luck, ninjas!

Written by: Larry