Reviews

[PREVIEW] Mexican Ninja – Mariachi and Ninjas

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Mexican Ninja is fast-paced action roguelike beat-’em-up developed by Madbricks. The game is set in the bizarre, neon-soaked dystopian city of Nuevo-Tokyo, which is a chaotic mix of Mexican and Japanese styles. You play as the Mexican Ninja, a rebel fighting the corrupt ruling class known as the Narkuza (a blend of Narcos and Yakuza). The game embraces an over-the-top and chaotic spirit, ensuring the experience constantly demands your attention.

Promising Concept, But a Frustrating Execution

I see Mexican Ninja in two ways: it has interesting ideas, but it can quickly become an obnoxious experience. First, as a side-scroller, there is a lot of camera movement. While some camera changes are good, certain areas are definitely annoying. For example, in later levels with multiple layers of furniture, traps, and obstructions, you easily get lost, making it hard to follow the action and make good decisions. Secondly, the game is buggy. I don’t know why the most important part of the game (picking a passive ability) is not working; clicking the screen does nothing.

Furthermore, the game is unfair. Once enemies knock you down, it’s extremely hard to get up when you’re surrounded because you don’t get a single second of invulnerability to reposition yourself. Therefore, since it’s a hack-and-slash game, it often turns into button mashing. You spam abilities to stagger enemies, and the two-second cooldown on your dash can seriously punish careless mistakes. Finally, the cool Ninja Gaiden-like moments where you can flick enemies in the air are too rare; I wish they happened more often.

Finally, the game is overly repetitive because you fight the same enemy types again and again. While I know this is a demo, the content feels very limited; every playthrough is almost the same. You lose interest in experimenting and continuing because the environment is always identical, with only tiny differences. Although the roguelike loop randomizes each run, it’s simply not enough. When you die (which happens often), you return to a central hub/training area. In this hub, you can spend your collected money on permanent upgrades and practice skills.

Bold, Comedic Cultural Mashup

On the positive side, the game strongly emphasizes mobility and linking combos through its various attack patterns. In fact, the combat is definitely interesting, offering a proper challenge from enemies. You do have a chance to improve, even though the game often includes many cheap attacks and sudden deaths. Another great feature is the game’s tongue-in-cheek skill tree. Here, you unlock new abilities that let you do funny things, like “fart to burn enemies” or perform a “tornado whirl.”

I am still trying to figure out if this game is a comedy, a parody, or just a title that throws in over-the-top jokes. Because of the strong mix of Mexican and Japanese culture, the game definitely has some humor that not everyone will enjoy. This is especially true for the way characters blend Spanish and Japanese languages. Concepts like the “Way of the Donkey” skill tree and the “Mexican Jutsus” are perfect examples of this comedic blend of cultures.

The visual style is easily one of the game’s best features. Specifically, it uses a retro 2.5D arcade perspective, which successfully blends classic side-scrolling with modern visuals. For example, you see mariachi guitars and sombreros stylishly clashing with samurai armor and anime-inspired designs. Furthermore, the characters themselves are distinct and colorful, perfectly matching this eccentric world.

Overall, I think this game needs more balance and polish. Specifically, the camera movement can get annoying, and some bugs may ruin the experience. In spite of these flaws, the game offers some interesting ideas. However, it might not appeal to everyone. It tries not to be difficult, but the number of enemies thrown at you can make things chaotic. Nevertheless, because a demo is available, it is definitely worth trying if you are still undecided.

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