Ninja Kiwi

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum



Background

Ninja Kiwi is a video game developer founded by brothers Chris and Stephen Harris. They are best known for the Bloons and Bloons Tower Defense games. On March 24, 2021, Modern Times Group acquired the company.



1st Logo (2007-2008)

Visuals: On a red gradient background, the text "ninja kiwi" in a stylized, Pricedown-like font with an outline and a cut out of fire gradually zooms into the screen before it flashes white.

Technique: Flash animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: It was seen on many of their earliest games which includes Bloons, Straight Dice, Bloons Tower Defense, among others, all of which can be found on numerous flash gaming websites.

2nd Logo (2008-2010)

Visuals: A minimalist light lights up, revealing a silhouette of two ropes and a kiwi wearing a ninja eye mask facing to the right. The kiwi turns around and pulls the left rope, causing the text from before in an orange gradient and white outline to fall from the air and crush the animal. Then, the room disappears and a white circle emerges, causing the kiwi, revealed to be brown and wearing a black belt, to rise from the hole. After that, the text "MORE FUN MORE GAMES PLAY NOW!" pops up word by word.

Technique: Flash animation.

Audio: None or the opening of the game.

Availability: Like before, it was seen on many of their games from this period, which includes Bloons Tower Defense 2, 3, and 4, the Powerpool games, Magnetic Defense, among others.

3rd Logo (2010)

Visuals: On a blue background, the words "NINJA KIWI" in white and an Asian-style font with a blue shadow is seen in front of a black kiwi wearing a red eye mask. The text "free fun games www.ninjakiwi.com" can be seen on the bottom of the screen. The kiwi jumps and leaves the screen to suddenly land on the logo and bend it. Shortly after, "NINJA" tilts to the left.

Technique: Flash animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Only seen on Keypad Kaos.

4th Logo (2010-2012)

Visuals: Set during night time on a traditional East Asian hip-and-gable roof, a silhouette of a balloon is seen on the left side whereas the kiwi from the 2nd logo peaks up from the right, looking around for a little bit only to gaze at the balloon. Growing mad, it pops out and hops towards it, shaking its tail before leaping from the roof and popping the balloon with one of its legs. Then, the shot fades to the same kiwi against a red circle with a white outline with "ninjakiwi" underneath with the dots in inverted colors. A black circle cut-out shrinks and cuts out most of the background, leaving just the red circle. And then, "more awesomer" in white appears below the company's name and the logo shines.

Variant: On Flur, the circle as well as the dots in "ninja" are blue.

Technique: Flash animation.

Audio: Night time sounds such as crickets chirping, walking sounds, and then a balloon pop, all to go with the animation.

Audio Variants: On Zombie Trailer Park, the opening of the game plays during the sound effects of the logo.

Availability: Can be seen on Bloons Tower Defense 5, Zombie Trailer Park, Bloons 2, among others.

5th Logo (2012-2018)


Visuals: On a gray spotlight is the logo from before with a sleeker look containing more shading. A few seconds in, the logo shines.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A sword slash sound.

Availability: Seen on Bloons Tower Defense 5 and Bloons Monkey City for iOS and Android.

6th Logo (June 14, 2018)


Visuals: The logo from before zooms towards the camera and bounces back a little bit. It then shines and zooms out.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: Seen on Bloons Tower Defense 6.

7th Logo (July 14, 2018-)


Visuals: The angry eyes of the kiwi from before appears on a blank screen. Its head ducks down for a little bit to reveal a white circle, only to jump up and smash most of it with one of its feet to reveal a red circle. Simultaneously, the text from before zooms out rapidly underneath the kiwi.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A few swooshes and then a break sound.

Availability: It debuted on Bloons Adventure Time TD and can be seen on more recent games from the company, most notably Bloons TD Battles 2.