Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips, hints, and cheats to get your best run ever!

Mini Ninja strategy guide: How to collect Koins faster, run farther, and kick ninja butt better than ever!

Mini Ninjas is a classic endless runner game by Square Enix. In it, you'll fight to survive for as long as you can while you dodge arrows, free animals, and collect ingredients for spells along the way. Each run gives you more Ki, or energy, and lets you level up to perform bigger and better spells. Here are the tips and tricks you need to run further than you ever imagined!

1. Don't waste your Koins on last chance opportunities

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

As with many endless runner games, you can continue your run for a price. Each time you do so, the Koins you have to dish out grow higher and higher. Odds are you'll get to that position again sooner than you think so unless you're dead set determined to beat someone's score and you're right on the brink, you're better off saving your Koins for other gear.

2. Smash small boxes and barrels instead of jumping

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

Small boxes and barrels are sometimes thrown in just to trip you up when jumping. I've found smashing through them instead of jumping over them to be a better strategy. That way if something comes at you right afterwards, you don't have to take as many small jumps that may end up being close calls.

3. Watch for arrows

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

Some enemies hover above and shower arrows down. Pay special attention to these annoyances and be sure to kill them as fast as possible. If they get too far ahead of you, and arrow is sure to eventually catch up with you. Kill them as soon as possible and watch the skies at all times for falling arrows.

4. Don't forget to watch for ingredients

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

You can always buy ingredients and spells in the store but why if you can get them for free? Whatever you collect on the runway can be used when crafting spells and other items. Watch for ingredients when your running and collect them whenever humanly possible. You'll be glad you did later on.

5. Connect to Facebook for 500 free Koins

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

If you have a Facebook account you can earn an extra 500 Koins just by linking up your account from the main page. It doesn't get any easier than that, plus you'll be able to see your friends' progress and challenge them via Game Center.

6. Kill enemies, don't avoid them

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

Your Ki meter only fills up as you kill enemies. Don't avoid them, kill them. You get spells faster and earn bonus items for doing so. Whenever you can attack without putting yourself in danger, be sure to do so.

7. Short jumps vs long jumps

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

The key to any endless runner game is knowing how to perfectly time your jumps. Mini Ninjas is no exception and mastering short jumps is super important. Tapping very lightly on the screen results in a short jump. You don't go as high and it's much easier to control when there are multiple items in a row you have to clear and aren't sure if one long jump will get the job done.

Play around with short jumps and be sure you master them or you won't get very far.

8. Red enemies are copycats

The red ninja enemies always jump when you do so the best way to defeat them is to trick them into jumping. Do this by taking a super short jump. They jump higher than you allowing you to catch up and kill them.

9. Buy pets

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

Not only are pets cute and cool to have, they typically serve a purpose and help you ward off enemies. For instance the panda can smash through large stones, meaning you won't trip or stumble on them. Rack up some Koins and then use them to buy pets when you can, you'll be surprised how much of a difference they can make in how far you get.

The fox in particular has lots of cool tricks up its sleeve when it comes to jumps so once you master those, it's a good pet to have in your arsenal.

10. Ki carries over from run to run

Mini Ninjas: Top 10 tips and tricks to achieve your best run ever!

Remember that Ki, or your energy meter, carries over from run to run. Don't feel like you have to use coins on a last chance if you're close to maxing out your Ki. As discussed earlier, it's almost never worth it and your Ki carries over anyways. Just use it on your next run for a decent head start.

Your tips and tricks?

I've given you my best tips and tricks for achieving a great run in Mini Ninjas so now I want to hear yours! What do you spend your Koin on? And what tips and tricks do you have for achieving a super long run? Let me know in the comments!

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.