Mexican Ninja Review: Kicking Ass and Taking Nombres

There are some games that remind you of something else almost immediately, and the first time I saw Mexican Ninja in action, my mind went straight back to Street Fighter.

I was completely addicted to Street Fighter when I was a kid, so seeing characters flying around the screen, throwing punches, pulling off ridiculous moves, and generally beating the life out of each other, definitely brought back some memories. This is obviously a very different game, but there’s something about the fast-paced combat that takes me back to those old-school fighting and arcade games.

Throw in a roguelike structure, a very strange but brilliant mix of Mexican and Japanese culture, and a ton of attitude, and you’ve got something that’s incredibly easy to have fun with.

We were lucky enough to be given early access to this gem of a game and I’ve loved every minute of it so far. Of course no game is perfect, and there are a few things I’d change.

So, grab your best pair of button-bashing fingers and let’s head into Nuevo Tokyo…

So, What Exactly Is Mexican Ninja?

Developed by Madbricks, which was acquired by Amber Studio in 2024, Mexican Ninja is a 2.5D roguelike beat ’em up set in Nuevo Tokyo, a city created from a collision of Mexican and Japanese culture.

Unfortunately, things aren’t going particularly well there. Narcos and Yakuzas have joined forces to create the Narkuzas, who now rule Nuevo Tokyo, while a group of rebels is preparing to fight back against the five heads of the clan.

That’s where El Ninja comes in.

You’ll spend your runs fighting your way through groups of enemies, combining attacks, dodging out of danger, using Mexican Jutsus, and gradually putting together different builds with the powers you find along the way.

In other words, you’re going to be beating up a LOT of people.

Sometimes Button Bashing Actually Works

The combat is fast. Really fast. There are enemies coming at you from different directions, attacks flying around the screen, and plenty of moments where things descend into complete chaos.

I loved it! I’d like to sit here and tell you I carefully mastered every combo and knew exactly what I was doing at all times, but that would be a lie. There was definitely some button bashing involved, Okay a LOT of button bashing involved. The funny thing is, every now and then that button bashing would result in El Ninja suddenly pulling off some ridiculously cool move I didn’t even realize I could do.

Of course, there’s much more to the combat than randomly hitting buttons. Timing, positioning, dodging, combos, and knowing when to get out of the way all become increasingly important, particularly once you start reaching the bosses.

You can jump in and start beating people up almost immediately. Getting good at beating people up is another matter entirely.

The Bosses Will Absolutely Put You in Your Place

The bosses are where Mexican Ninja really starts testing whether you’ve actually learned anything. They’re tough…Real tough.

I died relatively quickly the first three times I fought the first boss, but this is where the roguelike progression starts to make a difference. Every failed run isn’t completely wasted because you’re gradually becoming stronger and unlocking more ways to improve your character.

One of the main systems behind that progression is brilliantly called The Way of the Donkey. Yes, really.

Despite the name, it’s essentially Mexican Ninja’s skill tree, allowing you to improve and customize your fighting style as you progress. You can also unlock ninja skills by training with el Mero Mero Sensei and gain powers from Mexican-Japanese spirits during your runs.

It means that a boss that completely wipes the floor with you the first time isn’t going to feel impossible to beat indefinitely. You go back, get stronger, learn when you should be attacking and, more importantly, when you should probably stop attacking and MOVE. Then you try again.

Eventually, you’re the one doing the wiping.

Nuevo Tokyo Has A LOT of Personality

The combination of Mexican and Japanese culture could quite easily have felt like two completely unrelated ideas thrown together for the sake of being different. Yet, it totally works.

Nuevo Tokyo has its own personality, and Mexican Ninja absolutely commits to it. The characters have attitude, the dialogue doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the Mexican influence runs through everything from the terminology to the music.

You begin as El Ninja, but there’s 17 other characters to unlock by completing quests, giving you another reason to keep working through the game beyond simply trying to reach the end.

The soundtrack deserves a mention too. There’s a strong Mexican influence running through the music, and it fits the ridiculous energy of everything happening on screen really well.

Basically, Mexican Ninja knows exactly what sort of game it wants to be. Loud, fast, slightly ridiculous, and full of attitude.

I Couldn’t Shake the Feeling I’d Seen Some of This Before

I love Mexican Ninja, but there’s no denying some of it feels very familiar. The combat initially gave me those Street Fighter memories, although that’s more about the feeling I got from playing it than the games actually being particularly similar. Visually, though, I found it very difficult not to think about The Rogue Prince of Persia.

There’s something about the character designs, animation, side-on perspective, and overall presentation that feels familiar if you’ve played it. That doesn’t make Mexican Ninja a copycat game however. Far from it. Nuevo Tokyo looks great, the animation is slick, and there’s plenty of personality packed into the world.

Ironically, that’s probably more noticeable because the Mexican-Japanese idea itself is so distinctive. There’s so much personality in the setting that I would have loved to see the visual side push that identity even further.

I Think I’d Choose a Controller Next Time

I played Mexican Ninja on PC with a mouse and keyboard, and for the most part, the controls were absolutely fine. You can move using either the arrow keys or WASD, but because the mouse handles your attacks, I naturally ended up using WASD. The only time I found things a little awkward was once I needed to start throwing Q and Shift into the mix as well.

Q is used for your special ability, while Shift lets you dash, and that dash becomes particularly important when you reach the first boss. With Mexican Ninja being as fast-paced as it is, I occasionally struggled to hit the right key while also moving and attacking at the same time.

Although, this could quite easily be a me problem. If you’re someone who can effortlessly bounce between WASD, Q, and Shift without having to think about where your fingers are going, you probably won’t have the same problem I did.

If you’ve got a controller, though, I’d personally recommend using one. I think Mexican Ninja’s fast combat is probably better suited to having all those buttons a little easier to reach, and that’s definitely how I’ll be playing next time.

Mouse and keyboard still worked perfectly well. My fingers just weren’t always quite as quick as El Ninja needed them to be.

My Verdict

Mexican Ninja is a lot of fun. It’s packed with personality and the fast beat em up design gives you a thrill as you find yourself making all kinds of cool moves. The combat is fast, chaotic, and satisfying, the bosses give you something genuinely challenging to work toward, and there’s enough progression between runs that getting beaten doesn’t make you want to give up. It makes you want to do it all over again.

I really liked the Mexican-Japanese mix. Nuevo Tokyo is ridiculous in all the right ways, the characters have attitude, and things like Mexican Jutsus and The Way of the Donkey give the game a personality that goes far beyond its combat.

There are a couple of things I’d change. I’d like the visual identity to feel a little more distinctive, and I’ll definitely be reaching for a controller rather than my keyboard next time. However, neither stopped me having fun or made the game any less enjoyable.

If you miss the days of arcade beat ’em ups where sometimes the best strategy was to hit buttons until something cool happened, Mexican Ninja scratches that itch while adding enough roguelike progression and modern combat to make it feel like much more than a trip down memory lane.

Sometimes you master the combo, sometimes you accidentally discover the combo. As long as the Narkuzas end up on the floor, does it really matter?