Akane the Kunoichi

About

Akane the Kunoichi is a side-scrolling action game featuring a female ninja. Players must navigate through levels filled with enemies and traps, using stealth and combat to reach the end. The game offers a charming 2D art style and a variety of abilities to master, making it a fun and challenging experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

47%

Audience ScoreBased on 405 reviews

music19 positive mentions

gameplay20 negative mentions

Challenging gameplay that tests platforming skills.
Cute graphics and a nostalgic retro feel.
Simple mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master.

Clunky and unresponsive controls that hinder gameplay.
Limited enemy variety and repetitive level design.
Frustrating wall-jumping mechanics and lack of checkpoints.

gameplay
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
68%
18%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the clunky controls, particularly the wall-jumping and wall-hugging mechanics, which often feel unresponsive and frustrating. While some found the initial levels enjoyable and reminiscent of classic platformers, the later stages are seen as poorly designed, leading to a tedious and frustrating experience. Overall, the gameplay is described as basic and lacking in variety, with a slow pace that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “This game is an awesome 2D side-scroller with fun gameplay and relatively difficult achievements.”
- “Gameplay is very much like old Sonic games but with the level design of 2D Mario games, jutsu attacks, and wall jumping/sliding.”
- “The gameplay is solid and the controls work well.”
- “The wall hugging mechanic especially always feels unnaturally delayed and just isn't fun.”
- “Extremely clunky controls and overall gameplay mechanics make it very frustrating to play.”
- “Unfortunately, where the game really fails is with an extremely awkward wall-hanging / wall-jumping mechanic that, more often than not, interferes with the gameplay, slows down your progress, and will be responsible for your death more often than actual environmental hazards or enemies will.”
music
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
16%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic, repetitive, and at times, annoying. While some appreciate the nostalgic 8-bit tracks and catchy themes, others criticize the limited variety and lack of fitting soundscapes for different zones. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as acceptable but fails to leave a lasting impression, often described as stock or royalty-free music that doesn't enhance the gaming experience.
- “Even the music is a tribute to those old times, and I really recommend for all lovers of 8-bit music to evaluate the track from the last location.”
- “The music is awesome and really fun :)”
- “Great music, goes along pretty well, mechanics are nice and do their job most of the time.”
- “The music was boring and repetitive.”
- “The music seemed on a constant loop, and gave me a small headache after 10 minutes.”
- “If you do dare to try this pitiful excuse for a game, make sure to mute it because the music is the worst part of the game.”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
62%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting a simplistic and retro pixel art style that can feel bland or lazy. While some appreciate the nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic and colorful backgrounds, others criticize the visuals for being inconsistent, blocky, or lacking detail. Overall, the graphics are deemed acceptable for a budget title, but they do not stand out as particularly impressive or polished.
- “The graphics are very colorful and look like it could have been on a 16-32 bit console.”
- “The graphics are great, though animations are similar to a cross between 8 & 16-bit, with good pixel graphics, but characters seem to average about 4-6 frames each total.”
- “Graphically the game looks quite good.”
- “The graphics are awful, lazy retro pixel style.”
- “The art style looks very blurry, especially if you're playing on a monitor with a high resolution.”
- “The graphics are inconsistent and bland.”
story
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
83%
6%
The game's story is largely criticized for being simplistic and clichéd, often compared to classic platformers like Mario, with a basic rescue plot featuring a female protagonist saving a male love interest. Many reviewers noted the lack of emotional investment and depth, describing the narrative as virtually nonexistent or poorly executed, though some appreciated the role reversal in the damsel trope. Overall, the story serves as a minimal backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling element of the experience.
- “The story is a silly 8-bit era 'damsel in distress' where Akane's love interest is kidnapped by a rival kunoichi and her shinobi comrades.”
- “As for the storyline, it had no words, just animation, but it's not hard to depict in the mind how the characters feel, or what they are thinking.”
- “Great yet simple story.”
- “I had no idea what the story was, and I actually watched the intros.”
- “The story is weak and the 'power-ups' aren't really power-ups.”
- “The story is told for the most part without words, and we have no emotional investment in the story from the get-go.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews consistently highlight the grinding aspect of the game as excessively tedious, with slow movement, lengthy levels, and drawn-out boss battles that make gameplay feel repetitive and frustrating. Players express dissatisfaction with the lack of checkpoints and the prolonged death screens, which further exacerbate the tedious experience of retrying levels. Overall, the game's design leads to a laborious and monotonous grind that detracts from enjoyment.
- “The later levels are long and drawn out, making it tedious to repeat them over and over.”
- “Checkpoints apparently missed the cut, and to seal the deal, an agonizingly long death screen makes retrying levels far more tedious than they had to be.”
- “Bosses have about twice as much health as they need, so each battle feels very slow and tedious.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional comedy due to awkward controls and amusing character designs, particularly in boss encounters. While some players find the humor entertaining and lighthearted, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, suggesting a divide in how humor is perceived. Overall, the game offers a quirky charm that may appeal to those looking for a more whimsical experience.
- “This is extra funny in sequences that instruct you to run!!”
- “+ funny looking bosses”
- “There's not much enemy variety, but that's compensated with the awesome level design and funny Chinese details.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many users noting its short length and lack of incentives to play again. While some appreciate its fun elements for the price, the consensus is that it does not offer significant replay value.
- “Not much in the way of replayability but enough value for the price.”
- “Like the games made for the devices mentioned, this has a lot of replay value. The game is too short, like a GBC game, but at least it's fun.”
- “The game has no replay value, in my opinion.”
- “While its short life and limited replay value are enormous faults, it's still hard to be mean to a game that just gets so much right.”
- “Not much in the way of replayability, but enough value for the price.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a mixed experience with stability; while some have not encountered any glitches or issues during gameplay, others have experienced random freezes, flickering sprites, and occasional graphical glitches. The game appears stable for some players, but technical problems can detract from the overall experience.
- “The graphics are decent, but there were a few graphical glitches I noticed, such as the icon for the timer looking like it was trying to swap to a small sprite sheet at times, as well as some weirdness in the backgrounds of the 4th area.”
- “Aside from the technical issues I had with the game (random 'freezes' and flickering sprites), the game just isn't really any fun.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game features whimsical and fun designs, though some players find the pixel art for the protagonist to be somewhat generic and lacking in depth. Overall, while the visuals are enjoyable, they may not fully capture the complexity or uniqueness of the characters.
- “The character design seems a bit generic at times, but they are whimsical and fun.”
- “The graphics are fine, though I do feel the pixel art character design for our protagonist is a bit dumpy.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely conveyed through its wordless storytelling, which may leave players feeling a lack of initial emotional investment in the narrative. Additionally, the mechanics, such as Akane's interaction with the environment during falls, add a layer of physicality that could evoke feelings of vulnerability and connection to the character.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game's music is praised for its quality and variety, contributing to an atmospheric experience. However, some users feel that certain tracks do not align well with the game's themes or the specific levels, detracting from the overall immersion.
- “The music is really great and atmospheric, and it has a good variety.”
- “The songs are of good quality, but many do not fit the theme of the game or the atmosphere of the level in which they are used.”
- “The overall atmosphere feels disjointed and lacks cohesion, making it hard to immerse myself in the game world.”
- “Despite some visually appealing elements, the atmosphere is often undermined by inconsistent design choices that break immersion.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to run smoothly without any issues, and controls are well-optimized for use with an Xbox 360 controller.
- “I personally have yet to encounter a single problem; the game runs smoothly, and with an Xbox 360 controller, the controls are great.”