It's always refreshing when a developer can describe their game in a few short words while simultaneously capturing its tone in a creative fashion. Ninjala , a Nintendo Switch exclusive game announced at E3 2018, exists in the "ninja gum action" genre of games. While that might sound confusing at the moment, don't worry, it'll make much more sense once you see it in action.

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“ Unlike most brawlers, Players generate their weapons on the spot by blowing up bubblegum bubbles.

“ Weapon types like skateboards and yo-yos will be available in the full version of the game.

Designed by Takeshi Arakawa, former Senior Director and Co-Producer of the Dissidia: Final Fantasy series, and Kazuki Morishita, Executive Producer of Puzzle & Dragons, Ninjala aims to rein in a new generation of ninjas through online battles against other players.Ninjala is all about pummeling your opponents with melee weapons and smothering them with the many bubblegum-related techniques you'll have at your disposal. While it's hard not to compare Ninjala to another certain Switch title that also features colorful multiplayer-focused kid-on-kid combat, it still looks to offer enough original ideas to make itself stand out as its own unique experience.Ninjala centers mainly around urban-styled ninja kids who utilize melee weapons and bubblegum-themed abilities to take down opponents while also possessing the ability to perform stunts like wall running in order to tread quickly across the map. Unlike most competitive brawlers, Ninjala asks players to generate their weapons by blowing up bubblegum bubbles. The size of each weapon is determined by the size of your bubble, which seamlessly mixes in a comfortable layer of strategy to the melee-focused combat. Larger weapons do a considerable amount of damage but are much slower to wield, while smaller weapons are less powerful but can be swung to attack enemies at a much faster rate.It may seem impossible to go up against a giant like Nintendo — à la Splatoon 2 and Arms — but there's still more than enough room for colorful, family-friendly online multiplayer games on Switch. Though the content available in the E3 build I played was very limited, Ninjala still shows a lot of potential for another great online team-based multiplayer brawler. If GungHo makes good on delivering creative weaponry and polishes up the combat, Ninjala might just have what it takes to beat Nintendo at its own game.Ninjala is set for release exclusively for Nintendo Switch in Spring 2019.For more on all the latest Nintendo Switch games, check out our Inklings preview for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , and our hands-on preview with Star Fox in Starlink on Switch

Filip Miucin is IGN's Nintendo Editor. Find him on Twitter @filipmiucin and every Friday on Nintendo Voice Chat.