Ninja Pizza Girl – Review
by Richie
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There are two things going on with Disparity Games’ indie platformer Ninja Pizza Girl. The obvious one is the fact that this is a ninja-based platformer. You run, jump, wall-jump, dive and slide through the 2.5D levels, avoiding obstacles and enemies while trying to create a run efficient enough to earn the best rewards. On this level, the game works. You play as Gemma, a pizza delivery girl. She works for her dad’s little takeaway pizza joint, Pizza Perfection, in a dystopian future where traffic is a nightmare and so you take to the rooftops in order to deliver those pizzas as quickly as possible.
Essentially it plays out much like the iOS version of Mirror’s Edge. The levels scroll around, putting the focus on finding the best route (it’s not too sprawling though) rather than the usual one-screen, pixel-perfect frustration of things like N+ or Super Meat Boy. This is much closer to a 2D Mirror’s Edge. At first, the game seems quite ordinary. Gemma’s moveset is straight from the basic platforming playbook while the high-rise levels are a greyer take on the cold, corporate Mirror’s Edge look. The controls aren’t quite as precise as the more hardcore platformers but they don’t need to be. So, while everything can feel a tad floaty and a little imprecise, you’re never punished for it.
On this level, it’s quite a good game. I never warmed to N+ or Super Meat Boy because I’m rubbish. Manic Miner still kicks my arse. So this approach is much better for me. You still need to combine a lot of good jumps and slides to beat the game’s highest targets and you’ll need to replay levels a bit, but it’s not too hardcore and is therefore a lot more enjoyable. The other string to Ninja Pizza Girl‘s bow is its plot. Initially there’s not much to it: you deliver pizzas for your dad. He’s a nice guy, he cares about his customers and the quality of his pizza. Occasionally people answer the door in their pants but, aside from that, life is pretty ordinary for Gemma. However, a corporation are trying to corner the pizza market and before long you’ll start running into their delivery ninjas. And they are all pricks. Aside from commenting on Gemma’s appearance, they’ll also attack you on sight, slowing you down and wrecking your chances of a good time.
At this point, they’ll look at you and will start pointing and laughing while calling you names. This will affect Gemma’s mood which, in turn, will make the level a tad darker. If her morale drops too far she’ll slump onto the floor and you’ll need to button mash to get her on her feet. There’s a serious story about bullying here and, while running through the game, I found myself rooting for Gemma and her family. The game also tackles other issues as Gemma helps out the various customers she meets with their issues. It deals with love, loss and even some stuff about transgender issues. It can feel a little ‘Twitter in 2016′ at times but its heart is in the right place. By the end of the story, I did actually kind of care about it. Normally I couldn’t care less about the stories but this one was alright. It’s not particularly sophisticated but it has heart.
That combination of an okay story and enjoyable platforming mechanics is a good one. The game also lets you customise the speed and difficulty of the levels so that you can tailor it to what you want and there are also a bunch of collectables in there for when you’ve finished speedrunning the game. The presentation isn’t bad. The game looks pretty good and the animation is reasonably decent too, while the music has actually has some cool moments, especially towards the end of the game. The menus are a little bit rough, however, and there’s a weird bit of slowdown as they load up, but otherwise there are no real issues. It doesn’t have that lovely Canabalt slickness and Mirror’s Edge on iOS looks significantly nicer, but it does a job. The levels are easy to read, so that’s good. I’d rather that than a load of flashy nonsense that gets in the way of the action.
I’ve got other things I need to review, but I keep going back and trying to get the best rating on the levels. I’ve now just got one level left to perfect and so I’m pretty much hooked for now. I didn’t expect to like Ninja Pizza Girl as much as I do, but it’s been a nice surprise.
Pros- Solid platforming
- Good difficulty customisation
- Meaningful story
- Slightly floaty controls
- Could be a tad slicker in terms of presentation
A very accessible platformer with a strong message and a lot of heart. Ninja Pizza Girl isn't the flashest game out there or the most aggressively challenging but somehow that totally gels with the game's personality. Yeah. Ninja Pizza Girl is alright.
Last five articles by Richie
- The Richie Report: Et Velum Ultimum
- Sky Force Anniversary - Review
- Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 - Review
- The Final Station - Review
- Ninja Pizza Girl - Review
Will this be the date that historians will to refer to when we talk about Richie’s cold, dark heart beginning to thaw? Good write up, it’s probably not for me though.