Good things come in small packages with 'Mini Ninjas'

— -- It's an epic ninja adventure of minute proportions.

In Mini Ninjas, you play as a pint-sized warrior named Hiro, who vows to stop an evil samurai warlord bent on world domination. Trite storyline aside, this video game's fun factor lies in Hiro's assortment of tricks — magic, stealth, weaponry and agility — to defeat this malevolent master and his devoted minions.

Hiro's powerful "Kuji Magic," for example, comes in handy while exploring the vast and dangerous areas in feudal Japan. He can take animal form, such as turning into a bear to scare off bad guys, a wild boar to ram objects or an inconspicuous chicken to fool nearby soldiers. Defeated enemies turn back into animals as defeat breaks the evil warlord's spell.

Hiro can also transform into five other mini ninjas on demand, including the slow but muscular Futo (who wields a massive wooden hammer) or the swift, female Suzume (whose flute is deadlier than it looks). Hiro can also pull off such magic moves as pausing time long enough to "tag" enemies with crosshairs so that when you press a button to resume the action, Hiro then automatically takes down everyone with speed and precision.

You'll also master hiding in tall grass, balancing on ropes above abysses, sneaking up to unsuspecting soldiers, shimmying across cliff edges and using items to help get past obstacles (such as Hiro's hat that serves as a mini boat).

Weapon types are divided into melee (such as swords and hammers) and ranged (Shuriken throwing stars and cherry bombs), but because the game is designed primarily for younger players, combat is on the easy side — even against the slightly tougher boss characters, including a flatulent fighter whose poison, er, gas, can kill you.

Another minor shortcoming in this game is the lack of any multiplayer modes. A co-op option, for instance, would be a lot of fun to play alongside a friend or family member on the same television. Or minigames might also add to this title's replayability.