I have a confession to make; until a few weeks ago, I had completely forgotten that Ninjala existed, and at the same time, I learned that not only had the game become a successful multimedia franchise, but it was set to shortly receive a sequel exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. While I knew that the first game had launched exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in 2020, admittedly, I hadn’t thought much of it since demoing it offhand at, I assume, what must have been either E3 2018 or 2019. Since then, it has spawned a manga, a 200+ episode anime, and now a full-fledged sequel exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. Honestly, it’s hard not to feel like I missed this series having an entire moment, but honestly? I’m kinda here for it.
During this year’s Anime Expo, we had the chance to sit down and play a bit of the upcoming Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet. It’s pretty different from the original. Whereas the first game was a PvP-focused experience, Ninjala 2 forgoes that for an open-world PvE experience you can instead tackle in co-op with your friends. While we didn’t get quite the chance to check out the title in co-op, it’s easy to see just how much of a radical departure that shift is, even if that shift leaves more questions than answers. Thankfully, we had the chance to pick Director Motoki Kaneda’s mind to help sort out how that all came to be.
“So, the original Ninjala was a Switch exclusive game, and since it launched 6 years ago, it has been a continual live service product we’ve had a lot of fun developing. So it’s quite natural that we wanted to do a sequel to it”, Kaneda explains that the team had already considered the original release a success, especially as the title had been downloaded over 12 million times across its lifespan. It was always a matter of course that they would have their sight set ahead of them.
“We are always looking for the next thing, and trying new challenges. The Switch 2, in our minds, was the perfect chance to take things to the next step.” As for why the decision to focus on PvE was made, Kaneda gives a few reasons for the shift. For one, Ninjala isn’t just a game series, and the characters introduced and expanded upon across over 200 episodes of the Ninjala anime were on the team’s mind.
“The Ninjala universe is quite diverse. There’s a manga, there’s also an anime–it’s a very filled-out world. There’s a lot of characters, and a lot to explore there. A lot to enjoy. We really wanted the users to get the best experience and have a chance to enjoy all of those aspects of the Ninjala world. But what we really wanted to do was make sure that people could spend their time enjoying things, at their own pace.”
Kaneda was also quick to mention that despite the original Ninjala having a focus on PvP, there actually was a story mode even back then. Sure enough, checking the eShop, GungHo released separate DLC Story Packs for the first Ninjala–4 separate ones over the course of several years. Evidently, those must have found some degree of success.
Interestingly, while GungHo is positioning Ninjala 2 as a continuation of a specific story arc from the anime, the team isn’t entirely sure if the game will strictly follow the anime’s story, or will deviate from those events. One thing the team is certain on? At least as of right now, the team has no intention to release the game on anything other than the Switch 2.
Speaking to the actual game itself, it’s hard for me to get a gauge for just how it will feel when all is said and done. My preview was little more than a tutorial, having me make a beeline to a cave where we eventually ended up in a boss fight. Controls are, unsurprisingly, very similar to the first Ninjala–though my experience was hampered a bit by input lag incurred by a hotel TV. By default, my character had equipment set that would eventually freeze enemies struck by my sword, allowing a single attack to deal increased damage before breaking an enemy out of their stun once fully applied. I had a good time, but the battle system was of course rather simple. I can’t help but wish we’d had the chance to check out the co-op.
Another demo segment introduced me to photo mode and some light story elements, teaching me how to use the camera. While taking photos, you can choose from a variety of poses, and even ask characters caught within the frame to look towards the camera. It’s nothing too special, but cute enough. It definitely wasn’t enough, alongside the “combat” demo, to give me a feel for how the shift in direction will feel when all is said and done. Controls feel similar to the first Ninjala, as you would expect, especially having now gone back to acclimate myself to it.
To that end–the team isn’t ruling out the possibility of adding PvP back to Ninjala 2 in the future, either. While the original Ninjala isn’t going anywhere for the moment, the team is, by their own admission, trying to figure out exactly how to handle that disconnect heading into the future. Supposedly, whatever happens will most likely be dependent on fan feedback.
It’s tough to say too much about Ninjala 2 at this point, but it’s neat to see a sequel take such a wild swing. It’s all up in the air exactly how it will land, but if nothing else, I can say I’ve got a genuine interest–or maybe just “curiosity”–in the future of Ninjala for the first time in my life. I don’t really expect anything more than that, but it’s a nice feeling to have.
