Review 10 Second Ninja X

Picked this up courtesy of PlayStation Plus a while back, and having given it a spin, I have to say wow! For such an unassuming little game, it packs in the challenge with 10-second bursts of crazed ninja-ing action.

All you have to do is defeat the on-screen enemies within the time limit, by jumping, swinging your sword of flinging a couple of throwing stars. Figuring out the best set of movements and combat is key to bringing down your time to get three stars, which will help open up the next set of levels, and whole new bunch of challenges.

How much you get from 10SNX depends on how often you restart and refine your run through a level, before your hands cramp up or you get the urge to throw the Vita at a wall. That's no fault of the game, just my aging human reaction times, and the odd errant twitch that can blow a run. But since you can be back at it in seconds, you never feel like you're losing much.

With lots of different level designs, some bad guy variation and learning the tricks of the game, like the exact distance the sword will attack from and which pixel you can stand on next to a drop or electric field are all keys to being great at time, something I'll never manage.


With sharp graphics, a great sense of humour from the space pirate cast and lots of secrets and cheeky goings-on around the hub, 10SNX is fantastic fun and a great five-minute break game. If you get stuck, yes you can get a hint or watch a YouTube video by a pro, but if your reactions can't match theirs, its pointless, but you may well die trying.

Score: 8/10
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Price: £7.99 (PSN)
Size: 300MB
Dev: Curve Digital
Progress: It broke my wrists!