An ancient samurai warlord returns and raises a new demonic army to subdue the world. But instead of hiring unreliable minions, he transforms innocent animals into fearsome warriors. A ninja master notices how every transformation destabilizes the balance of nature, causing storms and earthquakes, and decides to send out his best ninja disciples to restore the order. When none of them returns, he is left with his last choice: the young ninja Hiro and his blunt friend Futo. Players control the characters through different worlds using a third-person perspective with a relative amount of freedom to explore the environment. When lost, the characters can meditate to receive a hint and see an arrow that points into the general direction of the next objective.

During the course of the game, they will follow the steps of the other warriors and eventually free four of them to make them playable. The player can switch between any character at any given moment. Each ninja has different abilities. Hiro is an all-rounder and the only ninja who can use Kuji spells. Unlocked by finding and praying at hidden shrines, spells include fireballs, whirlwinds and the ability to enter a spirit form where animals can be taken over to have them fight. They also make it easier to spot items and collectibles in the environment. Animals are locked up in cages, but also appear when an enemy is defeated, and they return to their original form. Futo wields a large hammer and is especially useful to engage larger enemies. The other characters that become available during the course of the game are Suzume, a young girl with a flute that enchants enemies when she plays music, Shun, a master with the bow, Tora who thinks he's a tiger and has big metal claws to prove it, and the acrobat Kunoichi with a long spear.

Characters have basic attacks along with a defense breaker to stun enemies and the ability to block. Acrobatic moves include wall jumping, running along walls and hanging from ledges. All characters have a sneak mode where they can hide in the grass or the environment to cause more damage when attacking or to simply avoid confrontations. Health is restored by gathering fruit, and there are collectible items in the environments. When new recipes are bought, these items can be mixed into potions, bombs and power-ups. Characters level up to get better abilities, and they all have a different focus attack to cause more damage.