Shadow Fighter Projector Game

Your opponent is a projected ninja, and your controller looks like a brass knuckle. Shadow Fighter pairs a Ninja Shadow Projector with a shadow puncher to turn a bout of air punching into a timed duel. You have to catch the ninja during a distraction before he gets a hit in, so watching for an opening is the point.

The training mode gives you a place to practice the timing. This suits someone who enjoys physical reaction games, where spotting an opportunity and moving quickly are the whole challenge. The slightly ridiculous detail is the equipment: you’re putting on a knuckle-shaped puncher to fight an opponent you can’t actually touch.

You can play alone or with a friend, indoors or outdoors, but the kit contains only one projector and one puncher. Keep that in mind if you’re picturing two players each getting their own gear. It also requires five AA batteries, none included, so those belong on the shopping list if you want the fight to start when the box is opened.