Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Not one, not five, but ... well, actually it is five. Five ninja; no more, no less for this trailer from upcoming game Ninja Reflex. And doesn't that strike you as odd? With a four-player game, it seems the odd-man-out isn't so much a friend of the four enjoying the game, but the group whipping boy, there only to serve drinks to thirsty players and watch them enjoy their Wii from afar, silent longing for a day when he too can experience the pleasure of motion-based gameplay.

And, dude: what is up with the kid with the chopsticks? Seriously?

What game will win the title of "Worst Ninja Boxart" this year? The battle is fierce, and only the most specially trained in the art of the bad box will prevail. In one corner is the stealthy Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the DS. So stealthy, in fact, that it remained hidden during its November release date. The challenger is Ninja Reflex, a game involving the most sacred of ninjitsu techniques: partying.

What box will reign supreme in the sacred art of fail? And will there be any newcomers brave enough to enter such a grueling competition? Patience, young student, will reveal the answers to these questions.

[Via GoNintendo]

Did you know that today is the Annual Day of the Ninja? So if you've been waiting for an excuse to flip out, hit on ninja babes, and assassinate pirates, consider today your excuse.

Electronic Arts is celebrating this sacred holiday by revealing new screenshots and details for its newest party game, Ninja Reflex. Developed by newcomer studio Sanzaru Games (former Activision developers), Ninja Reflex will feature "a series of martial arts challenges to test gamers' reflexes and measure their reaction times with millisecond precision." Up to four players will be able to participate, sharpening their skills and speed in this mashup of Brain Age and ninjitsu action.

The minigames shown so far are predictable, ranging from catch-a-fly-with-chopsticks contests to shuriken-throwing competitions. Hopefully, the final product will have more interesting activities -- and online support, too! Creep into our gallery under the cover of night and check out some of the screenshots EA has made available. Go ninja, go ninja, go!


[Thanks, Troy]

Even though we found out today that Ninja Reflex is going to be a "party game" of some kind and not an action game or silly ninja-esque training game or whatever we thought it was going to be -- and even though we saw the EA name on it from the start, we're staying positive about the title. Why? Well, because it incorporates one of our favorite themes: tired Internet jokes ninjas.

But what do you think? Is it possible for EA to sneak a decent game out under the cover of darkness? Or will it be just another minigame compilation to toss onto the pile?

While we're still holding out hope that the game can be one of 2008's gems, the revelation today that EA is making yet another minigame compilation title for the Wii has us down in the dumps. We understand that they're trying to tap into the same audience that the Wii has appealed to (see: every living person on the planet), by making games that can be enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible, but can we cool our jets on the minigame compilations already? Please?

Hopefully, EA will understand that a ninja party isn't just a bunch of peeps dressed in black hanging around, playing with some hula hoops. No, a ninja party is something different, where a clan of ninja sneak onto a pirate ship in the dead of night, proceeding to murder every single drunken, disgusting excuse of life that is found within the confines of the creaky, wooden vessel. But, we're sure EA will replace the killing with cookies and milk, or some such other bit of nonsense.

We spent yesterday going through the big releases that've been announced for next year so far -- Smash Bros. Brawl and/or Wii Fit likely topping your personal "must get" list -- but what about the second-tier games that don't usually receive much press or attention?

Though we haven't forgotten about the low-key releases, we've collected a selection of games and media to ensure that these titles stay on your mind too! Read on for our top ten list of awesome 2008 games that you totally forgot about!

We spotted a Gamefly listing for some DS game called Ninja Reflex a couple of days ago. Now a Wii game of the same title has appeared on the site, with a release date of March 6. What is it? Nobody Only EA knows! If we had to guess, we'd say it's some kind of ninja-themed training game, which sounds like it might be enjoyable. EA did start up that EA Casual division after all; we can expect more casual-type content. And we welcome the spread of training games to the Wii, although the Wii's party focus may be at odds with training.

For us, though, the most important thing about Ninja Reflex is that it allows us to make repeated Duran Duran reference. If you get handed an opportuntiy like this, why-yi-yi-yi-yi don't you use it?

[Via Siliconera]