Cat Ninja

E-Studio's Cat Ninja keeps its control scheme deliberately minimal, dash, jump, slash, and builds every level's difficulty out of how those three actions combine rather than adding new mechanics on top. A samurai warlord holding your feline friends captive is the excuse; the platforming itself is the point.

Because momentum carries through a dash into a jump, chaining the two rather than stopping between them clears gaps that look intentionally too wide for a standing jump alone. Enemies are placed to punish button-mashing specifically, slashing on approach rather than on contact usually clears a hazard before it becomes a problem, while attacking too late leaves you airborne and exposed. Final Ninja Zero is worth trying next if the dash-and-slash rhythm here is what you enjoyed most.