Kunai
Developer(s)TurtleBlaze
Publisher(s)The Arcade Crew
Producer(s)Bram Stege
Designer(s)Benjamin de Jager
Richard Lems
Programmer(s)Benjamin de Jager
Artist(s)Richard Lems
Composer(s)Pongball
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
ReleaseFebruary 6, 2020
Genre(s)Action, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Kunai is an action-platform video game developed by TurtleBlaze and published by The Arcade Crew. The game was released on February 6, 2020 for Windows and Nintendo Switch. In the game, the player controls Tabby, a robot tasked with defeating Lemonkus, an AI that nearly causes the extinction of humanity. In July 2020, The Arcade Crew partnered with Limited Run Games to release physical copies of the Nintendo Switch version. The physical copies were released in October 2020. The PC version received generally favorable reviews, while the Nintendo Switch version received mixed reviews.

Gameplay

Tabby uses the katana to destroy two robots.

In Kunai, the player controls Tabby, a robot awakened by a group of resistance robots.[1] Early on in the game, Tabby finds a katana and a pair of kunai.[1] The katana can strike downwards, allowing Tabby to bounce off enemies.[1] It can also be used to deflect bullets.[2] Tabby is healed when they attack an enemy with the sword.[3][4] A blacksmith will upgrade the katana if Tabby has enough coins.[3] Coins are collected when Tabby destroys enemies or objects with the katana.[5] The kunai are used as grappling hooks, allowing Tabby to traverse the world easier.[4] Tabby's health is restored at save points.[4]

As Tabby progresses, they collect more abilities, such as machine guns, shuriken, and an additional mid-air jump.[6] The machine guns can be used as a way to cross gaps, and the shuriken can stun enemies or activate switches.[6][3] Tabby receives a hat when they defeat a boss.[3] Secret rooms can be found in the game's world.[1] Chests can be found in these areas.[1] They contain hats, currency, or heart pieces.[1] Upgrades can also be purchased from WiFi routers found in each area.[1]

Development and release

Kunai was developed by TurtleBlaze, a three-man indie studio based in The Hague.[7] Kunai started out as a mobile game.[7] The team was looking for a publisher for their prototype, and bought tickets to the 2018 Game Developers Conference.[7] The team planned multiple meetings with publishers, but decided to not make a mobile game.[7] The team wanted to create a "premium gaming experience". When the Nintendo Switch released in 2017, the team decided to pivot the prototype towards the console. TurtleBlaze received game development kits from Nintendo.[7] In four weeks, the team turned the mobile prototype into a Nintendo Switch prototype. They had to change the game from portrait-based to landscape-based, rework the controls, and learn how to use the development kit. Since Kunai used the Unity engine, porting the game to PC was easier, according to producer Bram Stege.[7] Tabby originated as a robotic monkey, but the team chose to create something more "unique".[8]

In 2018, Kunai was featured at Gamescom and the Tokyo Game Show.[9][10] The Arcade Crew announced Kunai on March 13, 2019, with a planned launch on PC and Nintendo Switch.[11][12] The game was included in the Fanatical Platinum Build Your Own Bundle.[13] Kunai was showcased at the 2019 Game Developers Conference and at PAX East 2019.[14][15][16] The game was featured at E3 2019 and PAX West 2019.[17][18][19] In October, Kunai was given a release window of early 2020.[20][21] Four minutes of Kunai's gameplay was also released in October.[22] It showed off the game's world and a boss battle with Furious Ferro.[22] The game's demo was available at the 2019 Day of the Devs event.[23] Kunai's release date was announced on January 14, 2020.[24][25] A boss trailer was released on the same day.[26][27]

The game was featured again at PAX South 2020.[26] Kunai was released for Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch on February 6, 2020. A launch trailer was released on that day to celebrate the game's launch.[28] In July, The Arcade Crew partnered with Limited Run Games to release physical editions of the Nintendo Switch version.[29] The physical editions were released in October 2020, and came with a stickers set and a standard box. A Tabby pin was included as a pre-order gift.[29] In July, Kunai was one of the free Twitch Prime games.[30][31] In 2022, Kunai was one of 20 games available during Fanatical's Build Your Own Easter Bundle event.[32][33]

Reception

Kunai's PC version received "generally favorable" reviews, while the Nintendo Switch version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[34][35] It received a score of 32 out of 40 from Famitsu, based on individual reviews of 8, 8, 8, and 8.[36]

Shaun Musgrave from TouchArcade praised the gameplay mechanics, believing that the combat was solid. However, Musgrave felt that the exploration could have been improved, and called the game's backtracking "tiresome".[40] Gamespot's Alessandro Barbosa commended the visual style, combat, and aerial movement. He also described the backtracking as "tiresome". Barbosa called the setting "interesting", but was disappointed by the lack of depth.[37] Joe Juba from Game Informer felt that Kunai had the right components, but did not believe that it was assembled into a "cohesive whole".[6] Daniel Bloodworth from Easy Allies gave Kunai a 7.5/10, writing that the visual style "stands out", and felt that it was "reminiscent" to that of a Game Boy. Bloodworth called the controls "fantastic", but was disappointed by the difficulty of the bosses.[1]

Hardcore Gamer's Jordan Helm felt that the game may "stumble" from a lack of earlier detailing, but called it a "fun, if brief, adventure".[4] Jordan Palmer from Windows Central wrote that Kunai was "polished", and "funny". He praised the design, combat, exploration, and soundtrack. Palmer described the visuals as "unique", but criticized the keyboard controls, writing that they "feel awkward".[5]

Nintendo Life's Ben Sledge called the weapons "interesting", but criticized the amount of backtracking. Sledge did believe that the game fit well on the Nintendo Switch.[38] Nintendo World Report's Neal Ronaghan praised the "Spider-Man-esque" movement, levels, and minimalist presentation. Ronaghan described the boss battles and exploration as "smartly designed".[39] USgamer's Mike Williams wrote that Kunai "stands out" with "exceptionally fluid" combat, and praised the "Game Boy Color aesthetic". He criticized the amount of backtracking in Kunai, and felt that the level design did not offer many branching paths. Williams believed that Kunai had a great foundation for sequel.[3]

Nominations

Kunai won third place at the 2020 Big Indie Pitch PC/Console Edition.[7]

Year Award Category Result Ref
2020 NAVGTR Awards Outstanding Game, Original Family Nominated [41]
Webby Awards Best User Experience Honoree [42]
2021 Dutch Game Awards Best Art Nominated [43]

Review bombing

In February 2020, Kunai was review bombed on Metacritic, decreasing its user rating from 8.1 to 1.7 in a day.[44] The studio found out that the review bombing was caused by a single user. The user used several email addresses to create around 200 accounts on Metacritic to bring the user rating down.[44] At the time, Metacritic had no policy to identify or handle review bombing.[44] The team reached out to Metacritic, sharing the information they had about the lack of security measures in the user review process.[45]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Score based on 18 reviews.
  2. ↑ Score based on 32 reviews.
References
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bloodworth, Daniel (11 February 2020). "Review: Kunai". Easy Allies. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  2. ↑ Robinson, Martin (10 February 2020). "Kunai review - not the greatest Metroidvania, but a good reminder of what makes Metroidvanias great". Eurogamer. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Williams, Mike (6 February 2020). "Kunai Review: This Game Boy is Real Good at Swinging". USgamer. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Helm, Jordan (6 February 2020). "Review: Kunai - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Palmer, Jordan (6 February 2020). "Review: Kunai is a hilariously fun metroidvania for PC and Nintendo Switch". Windows Central. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Juba, Joe (12 February 2020). "Kunai Review – Swinging Low". Game Informer. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Drake, Sophia Aubrey (18 February 2020). "80s inspired neon-punk shooter Project Downfall takes the Big Indie Pitch PC / Console Edition crown at White Nights Amsterdam". pcgamesinsider.biz. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  8. ↑ Parton, Mitchell (2 April 2019). "Kunai is a Promising Tablet-Ninja Platformer with Endless Potential". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  9. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (26 August 2018). "Screenshot Saturday: Special Gamescom 2018 Edition - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  10. ↑ @TurtleBlaze (September 22, 2018). "We're at Tokyo Game Show! Come play KUNAI in hall 1-N21 at the Dutch pavilion! #TGS2018 #gamedev #indiedev #pixelart #NintendoSwitch" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 June 2022 – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (13 March 2019). "The Arcade Crew Announces Robot Ninja Metroidvania Game Kunai - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  12. ↑ Romano, Sal (13 March 2019). "Ninja Metroidvania Kunai announced for Switch, PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  13. ↑ Peeples, Jeremy (11 November 2020). "Fanatical Platinum Build Your Own Bundle Now Available - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  14. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (14 April 2019). "We Get a Good Amount of Slashing Action With KUNAI at PAX East 2019". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  15. ↑ Vincent, Brittany (13 March 2019). "Kunai side-scrolling tablet-powered ninja game looks awesome". Shacknews. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Tarason, Dominic (13 March 2019). "Kunai proves anyone can be a ninja, even an iPad". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  17. ↑ Williams, Mike (21 September 2019). "Kunai Is The Best Feeling Platformer I've Played Since Dead Cells". USgamer. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  18. ↑ HG staff (20 June 2019). "Best of E3 2019 - Day Two: Indie, VR, Racing, Sports, Platforming - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Lopez, Alan (16 September 2019). "The Best Nintendo Switch Games Of PAX West 2019". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  20. ↑ Romano, Sal (16 October 2019). "Kunai launches in early 2020". Gematsu. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  21. ↑ Helm, Jordan (16 October 2019). "Turtle Blaze's Ninja-like Metroidvania Kunai Releasing Early 2020 - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  22. 1 2 LeClair, Kyle (19 October 2019). "Check Out Four Minutes of Kunai Gameplay - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  23. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (31 October 2019). "Day of the Devs 2019 Lineup Announced - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  24. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (14 January 2020). "Save The World As A Sentient Tablet In Kunai, A Fast-Paced Metroidvania Coming To Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  25. ↑ Romano, Sal (14 January 2020). "Kunai launches February 6". Gematsu. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  26. 1 2 LeClair, Kyle (14 January 2020). "Release Date Revealed For Kunai in New Boss-Filled Trailer - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  27. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (14 January 2020). ""Kunai" Receives A New Boss Trailer Before February Release". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  28. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (6 February 2020). "Video: Watch The Launch Trailer For Kunai, Switch's Latest Metroidvania". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  29. 1 2 Sheehan, Gavin (4 July 2020). "Kunai Is Getting A Physical Release From Limited Run Games". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  30. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (26 June 2020). "July's free games for Twitch Prime members include Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Dear Esther, more". VG247. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  31. ↑ Petite, Steven (30 July 2020). "Amazon Prime Members: Last Day To Grab These Free PC Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  32. ↑ Peeples, Jeremy (15 April 2022). "Multi-Tier Build Your Own Easter Bundle Hits Fanatical - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  33. ↑ Bitner, Jon (15 April 2022). "Get 10 Steam Games For 5 Bucks This Weekend". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  34. 1 2 "KUNAI for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  35. 1 2 "KUNAI for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  36. 1 2 Romano, Sal (5 February 2020). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1627". Gematsu. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  37. 1 2 Barbosa, Alessandro (11 February 2020). "Kunai Review - Throwing Knives". GameSpot. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  38. 1 2 Sledge, Ben (24 February 2020). "Review: Kunai - Pacing Problems Undermine This Otherwise Likeable Roguelike". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  39. 1 2 Ronaghan, Neal (6 February 2020). "Kunai (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  40. 1 2 Musgrave, Shaun (13 February 2020). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Mini-Views Featuring 'Kunai' and Others, 'Goblin Sword' and Today's New Releases, the Latest Sales, and More – TouchArcade". TouchArcade. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  41. ↑ "2020 Winners NAVGTR". navgtr.org. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  42. ↑ "KUNAI". Webby Awards. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  43. ↑ "And the nominees are..." Dutch Game Awards. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  44. 1 2 3 Valentine, Rebekah (21 February 2020). "Kunai becomes the latest title review bombed on Metacritic by a single person". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  45. ↑ de Jager, Benjamin (19 February 2020). "Our indie game KUNAI got review bombed to a 1.7". Gamasutra. Retrieved 16 June 2022.

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