Ninjas Invade 'Desktop Tower Defense' in 'Ninjatown'

I haven't played Stephen Totilo's 2007 favorite, "Desktop Tower Defense," but I have played variations of it. Most recently, WiiWare's "Defend Your Castle."

I like the concept. But I've always thought: what if there were ninjas? Thankfully, I wasn't alone there, leading to SouthPeak collaborating with plush toy artist Shawn Smith (a former EGM editor) to create "Ninjatown" for the DS.

"Ninjatown" is based on universe Smith already created with his plush toys. And while it's also based on the "Desktop Tower Defense" concept, it has a life all its own.

Before I put in the cartridge, I expected "Ninjatown" to be a cute action RPG. Though "Ninjatown" is no doubt both cute and humorous, the action is strategic and movements must be calculated. And the most "action" you'll experience is blowing into the microphone to push back enemies.

The design driving "Desktop Tower Defense" and its ilk is quite simple. You always begin on a map, with advanced knowledge that enemies are on the march. You have maybe a few moments to begin laying down buildings and other defensive mechanisms before enemies start parading through. The enemies typically come in waves and are constantly switching enemy types, which means you'll need to change strategies.

"Ninjatown" doesn't stray from that formula because its simplicity is a perfect match with "Ninjatown"'s own stripped-down nature. There's nothing complicated about the "Ninjatown" universe.

You're given access to a variety of ninja huts, each producing ninjas with unique abilities. Some fight, some freeze, others are long-range snipers. You'll need to switch and swap based on the enemy type. Ground-based fighting ninjas, for example, are going to be useless against flying enemies. To win, you must survive a number of enemy "waves" without too many entering your village. In my demo, it was 16 waves and 20 enemies.

The first time I played the "Ninjatown" demo, I failed miserably. I didn't survive more than six or seven waves before succumbing. My second time, though, I was informed of the special moves at my disposal. Ol' Master Ninja sits on the top screen, patiently watching the battle below. Tap his cane, however, and he unleashes one of two devastating moves. One, blow into the microphone and you'll push enemies back with your magical wind gusts. The other, tap anyone on-screen and Ol' Master Ninja will swiftly take them out in one hit.

Of course, upon trying the microphone mechanic, I promptly spit all over the screen of the DS. Sorry about that. Here's my apology: I really want to play more "Ninjatown."

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