You know what’s awesome? Ninjas. Know what’s even more awesome? Games in which you get to be a ninja.
With that in mind, here are 10 games you can play on your iPhone that will require stealth, speed and agility. Think you’ve got what it takes? Ah, grasshopper, click through to begin your hero’s journey …
Ninja Throw
This highly addictive app is a puzzle game, taking you on the journey of a ninja who must progress through his shuriken-throwing training. In each level, your goal is to hit the gong with one of your shurikens and you have a limited number of tries.
In the beginning, the objective is straightforward enough, but soon the game starts adding obstacles, such as boxes and barrels, as well as clouds with wind-blowing capabilities and mystical Sensei that can repel and attract shurikens — and you’ll have to learn how to make them all work for, not against, your tiny ninja.
Complete each level using as few shurikens as possible to hit the gong in as little time as possible to earn the best score and progress to the next level. If you love puzzles, this one will challenge you.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Clickgamer Technologies Ltd.
Download: iTunes
Use as few shurikens as possible to hit the gong.
Parachute Ninja
Parachute Ninja’s bright graphics and cute main character make this game visually enticing as you fling, hurl, glide and drop your ninja right into the middle of all the action on his quest for revenge.
Guide Parachute Ninja through 30 levels against four different backdrops in Story mode. Your ninja is dropped into each level with the goal of avoiding hovering enemies and other dangers while collecting fireflies to earn points.
Extra features include Survival mode, online leaderboards and awards, as well as Plus+ support for earning awards.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Freeverse, Inc.
Download: iTunes
Avoid enemies and collect fireflies to earn points.
Fruit Ninja
No list of ninja games would be complete without including the worldwide phenomenon Fruit Ninja, with its crisp and colorful graphics and simple yet wildly addictive premise. Since its release, there have been spin-offs and imitators, but the original remains the most gratifying of all.
Swipe your fingers across the screen to slash and splatter fruit everywhere — just like a true, iPhone-using ninja warrior would. Your goal is to deliver as much juicy destruction as possible without hitting any bombs, which explode at the touch of your sword and end your fruit-busting streak.
Choose from three modes — Classic, Zen and Arcade — along with online multiplayer for Game Center-enabled devices, and enjoy global leaderboards and unlockable achievements. Through it all, your wise ninja Sensei will dispense wise words and fun facts.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Halfbrick Studios
Download: iTunes
Slash through fruit to rack up points.
iSlash
Another ninja game for puzzle lovers, iSlash turns your finger into a weapon. The objective is to slash away most of the play area to advance to the next play shape without coming in contact with the shurikens — some are super-fast, some are ghosts, but all of them will put an end to your slashing.
Sounds simple, right? It is, but that’s part of the reason more than 5 million people can’t stop playing it. Not to mention, there are 150 levels (with more to be added) with progressive challenges and bonuses.
The developers have said a multiplayer option will be coming soon, which would add to the fun. Until then, enjoy regular updates, Game Center and OpenFeint support, global leaderboards and super-clean graphics.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Duello Iletisim Hizmetleri
Download: iTunes
Slash away the play shape but watch out for the ninja stars.
Mr.Ninja
In Mr.Ninja, your goal is to navigate your pint-sized assassin from one spinning disk to another spinning disk, using fingertaps to get the little guy to leap, and trying to jump “through” as many aliens as possible. The more aliens you slash, the more points you earn.
You build up chains for not missing any aliens in a leap, which means you earn even more points on the aliens you slash next time, and needless to say, the jumps increase in difficulty as the game progresses.
Enjoy three modes — Normal, Super Chain (now Mr.Ninja races against a timer!) and Impossible (pretty much as the term describes) — as well as the reddish-orange and black comicbook-style graphics and arcade sound effects.
Price: $0.99
Developer: PONOS
Download: iTunes
Slash the aliens as you jump from disk to disk.
NinJump Deluxe
With the popularity of NinJump, it was only a matter of time before Backflip Studios kicked things up a notch — OK, several notches — with NinJump Deluxe.
In this climbing game, your goal is to get your ninja to continue upward for as long as possible, and in this version of the app, not only do you get the classic levels included in NinJump, but also the new Castle, Pirate and Jungle levels. But you have to think fast and be on the lookout for enemies, such as beetles, snakes, witch doctors, monkeys, hornets, ninja pirates, sea monsters and more.
The graphics have improved significantly since the first version of the game was released, and the developers have promised to continually crank out new levels. Additionally, enjoy leaderboards, the ability to challenge friends via email, the ability to post scores on Facebook and Twitter, and more.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Backflip Studios
Download: iTunes
Maneuver upward, but watch out for all the critters!
Urban Ninja
OK, so this ninja is technically a Frenchman — but he’s dressed in dark clothing, is stealthy, scales buildings and leaps across rooftops. I think he qualifies.
Guide Francois, your secret agent and Urban Ninja, through 40 classified missions, complete with wall-climbing, roof-jumping, rope-swinging, pole-sliding and even further acrobatics in order to collect stars and escape the city via helicopter at the end of each mission.
Take advantage of Trainer mode to get the hang of things, then build up your skills to unlock achievements and play bonus games. At the end of each level, your performance is ranked using three stars, which means you can always play the level over and over again until you get that perfect score.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Donut Games
Download: iTunes
Scale walls and leap between tall buildings as secret agent Francois.
Chop Chop Ninja
OK, so the daughter of the ruler of the kingdom is in danger. You know what to do. Tap into those ancestral martial arts to fight your way through enemies, obstacles, traps and other dangers in order to rescue the emperor’s daughter and save the land.
User your finger to make the game’s hero, Iro-san, run, move, climb, jump, bounce off walls, and of course, fight, as he makes his way through 10 unique levels — throughout which you’ll help him collect special abilities and hidden objects.
Enjoy colorful cartoon graphics, special attacks and power-ups, and other surprises as you “chop chop” your way into legend — plus, you can replay levels as many times as you want to beat your previous time and score.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Gamerizon
Download: iTunes
The daughter of the emperor is in trouble and Iro-san must save her.
Silent Swords
In Silent Swords, your main character is a stealthy, silent shadow among shadows. Use your environment for camouflage in each level to remain undercover as you take out the guards using your swords and shurikens before they even know you’re there.
You can shake your iPhone to jump and tap repeatedly to control your speed, plus defeat enemies utilizing gesture-driven sword movements. Naturally, the levels progress in difficulty as you continue, and it becomes harder and harder to remain undetected. But that’s nothing a superior ninja such as yourself can’t handle.
The best part: Just when you reach the end of the game and think it’s all over, you unlock additional levels to keep the fun going.
Price: $2.99
Developer: Oniric Games
Download: iTunes
Be silent and stealthy as you take out the guards.
Paper Ninja
In Paper Ninja, you’re a ninja who’s fighting other ninjas. Why? Because they’re after the Ancient Scrolls and there’s no way you and your Master are going to allow that to happen.
Swipe out the ninjas with your finger to earn your Master’s trust and increase your odds of receiving the honor of Grand Master. The task is more challenging than it sounds, as the game is fast-paced and you have to make split-second strategic decisions, as well as expertly execute combination attacks.
In addition to the game’s amusing storyline and charming graphics, experience 24 levels in Dojo mode, special skills for power-ups, achievements to collect and post on Facebook and Twitter, leaderboards and more.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Real Inverse, LLP
Download: iTunes
Stop the other ninjas from securing the Ancient Scrolls.
What’s Your Favorite Ninja Game?
And there you have it: Weeks’ worth of ninja-filled entertainment for less than $12. Personally, I’m pretty addicted to Ninja Throw, Parachute Ninja and Paper Ninja, but which ones do you like?
Did we leave out your favorite ninja game? Leave a comment below to let us know. You can never have enough great ninja games.