Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2014

Clumsy Ninja

NaturalMotion (free; iOS)

Turning something as dumb as a sack of bricks into something as hard as nails.

Taking on the role of a martial arts master, your mission, should you have the patience for it, is to train the most awkward of apprentices. You see, the apprentice has a mission: to save his fellow ninja warrior from an unseen and nefarious evil-doer-type. The little ninja in question, though, is more likely to kick back—rather than kick butt—as he’s too untrained and undisciplined to dutifully save the girl. But persevere you must, as the young ninja will slowly gather the skills he needs to win the day.

While not necessarily a game with any specific goals or actions, Clumsy Ninja offers a fun and often addictive distraction from daily life. Akin to something along the lines of Tamagochi or other pet simulators, Clumsy Ninja makes more use of the iOS devices touch screens than most games in the App Store, while also offering some of the best character animation and A.I.. It also retains a high level of visual charm.

Suitable for all ages, Clumsy Ninja offers a decent investment of free time and all in all is a joy to play. The charm and personality of the character as well as the app’s overall presentation makes it a must-have to add to the mobile collection.

Tiny Thief

5 Ants (¥ 300; iOS, Android)

Thievery has never been so kawaii.

Developed by 5 Ants and published by the makers of Angry Birds comes perhaps one of the cutest acts of kleptomania ever seen on a gaming platform. Reminiscent of the tales of Robin Hood, take on the blond bangs of the sneakiest thief in all the kingdom as you slink, distract and outwit guards and pirates in order to steal from the rich and give to the poor.

Accompanied by your trusty ferret companion, travel across six stages consisting of five parts each as you hide in barrels, set off Rube Goldberg-like distractions and pilfer every last scrap of loot to be had—all the while being the hero of the common man.

With their own clean-cut, vectored visual style, 5 Ants has done a great job at standing out from the crowd. Each level is rich in color, artistry and design where not everything is simply part of the background. The additional quest of finding three unique treasures for each level will have the completionist in some wanting to make the most of each stage’s design and interactive aesthetics.

With warm humor, simple and intuitive game play and an overall appeal that many will find charming, this game will steal your heart without picking your pocket at the same time.

Threes

Sirvo LLC (¥200; iOS)

Math—this game just made it fun for me, ’nuff said.

The concept for this game is a simple one: slide numbered tiles together to make multiples of three. As each combination comes together, each complete number becomes a new personification, with their own character. When there are no further moves to make on the 4X4 grid, your final score is tallied. This game is truly one of those that is simple to pickup, yet difficult to master.

Though simple math in itself isn’t taxing, the way in which you move the numbered tiles around the board is. Swipe one tile up, and any other tiles that can move in the same direction will too. This offers a level of strategy and forward thinking that moves this past the basic idea of 3+3. While getting a reasonable score can at times come down to blind luck, the greater challenge comes from making the much higher multiples of three.

Sirvo LLC has come up with an instant classic for the App Store, one that many people have recognized as their own favorite.  Expect to find other, paling, multiplication-type games out there, but accept no substitute.