Ninja Soul

Ninja Soul is...something. Not sure what it is, but it’s definitely something. First off, it’s a game that’s written in C++ and SDL, it has a character and a platform. And that’s just about it.

Since Ninja Soul has a human-like character that can move left or right and can jump, and it also has a platform, then it must be a platformer, right? Well, if it is, it’s one of the most abstract platformers that was ever created.

As mentioned, the little ninja (assuming that’s what it is) can move in a 2D space like in any platformer but the platform can only move up or down. You have two different sets of controls for the two game objects and no indication as to what you have to do with them. There are also some shapes that constantly fall from above, pass by and disappear. Apart from that, you get some counters that display how many of the falling objects hit you and the platform. Such a fun game.

Ninja Soul might not be a game after all, but rather an example of what a C++ game engine is capable of. And maybe what you’re actually seeing is an implementation of 2D collision...counting. It kind of makes sense, if you really want to believe that that is what you're seeing.

In fact, that’s probably what Ninja Soul is, an interactive sample of a game engine that was designed in C++ a good bunch of years ago and since then it seems to have died out.

On a closing note, if you’re looking for a way to waste time without suffering any real brain damage, ‘play’ Ninja Soul. Or, you could just make up some kind of rules and challenge people. Like for example, see how long you can stand under the platform without going to the bathroom, or see how many falling objects you can catch with your head in 2 minutes.