This week's free-to-play multiplayer Switch title, Ninjala, has made a splash. GungHo Online Entertainment has announced on Twitter that the game has been downloaded more than 1 million times in a single day.
To celebrate the successful launch, GungHo is giving 100 Jala (the in-game currency) and 10 Ippon Gum (Flame) weapon skins to all players. This is also to compensate for the magnitude of errors the game had during its first few hours of being live. You can access these rewards from the inbox (Press X on the main menu to get to it).
The launch was rocky, to say the least, with some players being unable to log in to the game, or being booted out. The developers even asked players to not use the lobby feature (Room Battles) and instead play Quick Battle but they have since fixed the issue revolving around that mode. For a while, it seemed like the betas didn't help at all, but now it seems to be running smoothly.
With its free price tag, this game comes with microtransactions up the wazoo; even Chapter 1 of the story mode is purchasable. Cosmetics (like hats, outfits, etc), callouts, and weapon skins can all be purchased using Jala in the rotating Specialty Shop. There's even a Ninjala Pass (battle pass), which unlocks premium items as you progress through the leveling system. The game does give you music and weapon skins for free, however. You can use your 100 Jala on the Gumball machine, which gives you a random set of items for your character, including a costume, in a gacha format.
Despite the microtransactions, the game underneath it is surprisingly fun. The vibrant Splatoon-like graphics of Ninjala draw you in, and then the frenetic rock-paper-scissors combat keeps you playing match after match after match. Each weapon that you equip has different abilities, pros, and cons to suit your play style. The soundtrack, just like Splatoon, is also super catchy with tracks that will keep you energized throughout the match. It rotates during the play session too, with each player having picked their own theme.
It's no wonder the Ninjala team likely wants to get a slice of that Splatoon pie, as Splatoon 2 was one of the most talked about games in 2018 and has become a cultural hit in Japan. While the gameplay is not similar at all, the art style is definitely reminiscent of Nintendo's popular third person splatting series.
If Ninjala remains to be successful, perhaps we'll see it make a splash on to the eSports scene? Let's wait and see!
Source: Ninjala on Twitter