Cubic Ninja

Cubic Ninja is an action-puzzle game designed less with 3-D in mind, and more emphasizing the tilt-control abilities of the 3DS. Like the ninja-themed puzzler n+, Cubic Ninja features a large number of relatively small stages where the challenge comes from working out the manner to proceed through the stage to an exit. Rather than quick platforming-based gameplay focused on stamina and reflexes with buttons, Cubic Ninja challenges the player's ability to tilt the 3DS physically in every conceivable direction to drop the block of ninja through traps, tunnels, and dangers a plenty. Whereas n+ is strictly timed, Cubic Ninja is not, but challenges players to complete stages as quickly as possible, recording the best times.

The story is about CC, the titular cube-shaped ninja who takes charge to save a princess from "lab-coated bandits." The game's focus has CC working his way through the bandit hideout, the location of which was discovered by CC using the Internet. The bandit hideout is, of course, awash in unfriendly things like explosives, traps, spikes, flamethrowers, and rest rooms. Rest rooms may actually tend to be friendly, providing special power-ups, but over use of the rest rooms may have less rewarding consequences. The game also features boss battles, which must be "fought" in a similar manner as the rest of the puzzles in the game, with tilting the 3DS to cause harm to boss characters.

No modern self-respecting ninja comes without some kind of special skills, and despite being small black block, CC is no different. Hidden and scattered through each level are ninja scrolls which are collected to be able to use Ninjutsu skills. Shrinking makes CC smaller and easier to maneuver through tight areas. Switch automatically activates all switches in a level. The Star skill makes the ninja shoot stars in all directions. The Shield, as might be obvious, gives CC a protective shield allowing him to resister a number of hits before dying, as opposed to dying with a single hit, which is how the game plays normally. Besides this, if a player dies five times in a row in the same level, they're given an opportunity to have as many scrolls as possible--but the stats show a white flag after finishing the level, showing that the stage was completed with help.

The game also features the option to play with the Circle Pad and 3-D turned on if players so choose. The 3-D option is deactivated during tilt gameplay as it would be impossible to maintain while tilting the system in so many different directions. With the Circle Pad option turned on, the player moves into the foreground with the X button. The game features Time Attack and Survival modes, as well as Medals awarded through various challenges in the game, using various unlocked usable characters. There is also a level creator, and new pieces for the creator are unlocked as the player progresses through the main game. These stages can be shared with QR codes, as each created stage will have one, and players need only photograph a code to import the created level. Stages and Time Attack ghosts can both be shared with the QR codes.