Ninja and Samurai Games

Ninja and samurai games put you in the shoes of an agile warrior with a sword or shurikens who jumps, slashes and dodges. There are about 160 on the site, with adventures, slicing games and characters from well-known series.

Ninjas and samurai are not the same

Samurai were the warrior class of feudal Japan, with the katana as their symbol. Ninja, or shinobi, were closer to spies and infiltrators who worked from the shadows. The games blend the two freely, but that difference explains the tone: the samurai fights head-on, while the ninja prefers speed, stealth and leaps.

On the list, Ninja Legend, Shadow Ninja Revenge, Little Ninja, Shinobi Slash and Ghost Walker are ninja adventures, with jumping and combat. Samurai Flash, Shinobu and Ninja Gaiden 4: The Prince of Darkness lean toward the sword. Fruit Cut Ninja and Ninja Slicer change gears: slice whatever crosses the screen, using quick reflexes and a steady hand. Ninja Gravity plays with gravity.

There are plenty with familiar characters. Naruto shows up in Naruto Kunais, Naruto Shooting and Naruto Atack, and also in Bleach vs Naruto. Ben10 Ninja Spirit, Ninja Turtles 2 and Chuck Norris Ninja round out the group.

Playing them better

Almost all use the arrow keys or WASD and an attack key. In the jumping games, always look a little past where you are: it gives you time to pick your next foothold. In the slicing ones, don't swipe the mouse around at random. One clean stroke is usually worth more than lots of loose cuts.

If you don't have much experience, start with the slicing games, which make sense at once, or with characters you already know. The long adventure games, with several levels and bosses, take a bit more practice.

One thing to keep in mind: in adventure games you usually lose by falling into a pit or touching an enemy or a trap, so rushing doesn't always help. Learn how far your character's jump carries before you leap at anything. If the game has a double jump or wall grip, use it, since it's often the key to the highest platforms. And in Fruit Cut Ninja or Ninja Slicer, notice what you're not supposed to cut: there's almost always something that costs you points or lives.