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Shinobi
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Playstation 2 - Overworks/Sega - Action - M - 1 Player
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| In 1987, Sega released a difficult yet addictive side-scrolling action title called Shinobi. Revenge of Shinobi and the pseudo-sequel Shadow Dancer soon followed. Finally ending the Trilogy and a half was Shinobi 3. Or so we thought. Nine years later, Shinobi is reborn, with a major facelift. In fact, this classic might be unrecognizable to some. Sega’s 2002 Shinobi resembles Shinobi 3 more than any of the previous ninja incarnates, but the similarities are few and far between. Shinobi has been nearly completely retooled from the ground up, emphasizing melee combat as the preliminary attack method, with shurikens as a secondary technique; opposite of past Shinobi mechanics. Gone is Joe Musashi, the hero of the past Shinobi titles. In his place is a very worthy successor, Hotsuma. Sporting a unique character design and twelve foot long, trailing red scarf, Hostuma more than fills Joe’s shoes. Although if you grieve for Mr. Mushashi’s absence, don’t fret, he is an unlockable character. A great throwback to the classic, he actually plays more like his Shinobi 3 counterpart, placing a greater emphasis on shuriken combat. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| As many changes this series has taken on, abstractly, there are just as many similarities. Linear level design, almost simplistic in nature, forces you to tend to your foes first and foremost. Platforming and bottomless pits that, failing to traverse, force you to retry the level from the beginning. Most evident, the challenge level of the classic side-scrollers is ever present. It returns in full force, to an almost frustrating degree. That being said, the harder difficulty settings in Shinobi are some of the most tormenting gaming challenges to date. This, my friends, is old school reborn. The game may not visually resemble its prequels, but it damn near represents them conceptually. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Shinobi is a beat ‘em up at heart. It implements a melee combat system (aptly named the Tate system) that is nothing short of absolute brilliance. It is simple in concept, but exceedingly deep in disposition. For every enemy slain, your power temporarily increases. Four or more defeated enemies in a row results in a Tate; as you slay an enemy, he will still stand, ready to fall. With each kill, you have about two seconds before you need to drop another foe, or your Tate opportunity becomes negated. Successfully pull off a Tate and all the thought to be dead, yet still standing rivals will simultaneously split into two bloody pieces as Hotsuma stylistically sheathes his katana.
Certain secrets and hard to reach platforms are inaccessible using conventional means. A typical setup will have a reward placed atop an unreachable pedestal, but there will be an ascending row of flying creatures hovering around it in a staircase-like pattern. Only the first creature is even reachable, but jump and attack it, then dash (mid-air, mind you) to the next, slash and repeat, air-Tateing your way up into the sky, bouncing back and forth off your unfortunate foes until your altitude is high enough to air dash or double jump to the previously unreachable platform. Some foes are ridiculously strong. So strong in fact, that you could literally hack away at them for two or three minutes straight before they fall. Tate five or six enemies in a row before you strike that near-impervious foe and he’s dead in one hit. In fact, any enemy in the game, no matter how powerful, can be finished off in one slash if Tated properly. |
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| Unfortunately, these great play mechanics come at a price. The graphics and sound are sub-par, and that’s being generous. While the characters capture an incredibly artistic and original grasping of the fantasy ninja concept in a modern reality, they are diluted due to their final implementation in-game. Hotsuma looks good, but most of the other characters sport extremely low polygon counts. There is no reason the in-game graphics are not on par with that of the cut scenes, which are on the weak side as well. In said cut scenes, the character animation is very inhuman and overdone in a way that is so stilted it doesn’t properly convey the fluidity of motion that should be captured in such a graceful figure as Hotsuma. While the sound effects work, nothing stands out. The real culprit lies within the soundtrack, which is a shame because the bulk of the score is exceptional. Unfortunately, the soundtrack is overly synthesized and ultimately sounds a few steps above an SNES soundtrack in quality. Overall, the composition is great; it just wasn’t carried out in a fashion that could have fulfilled its entire potential. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| If you are looking for a game that will test your skills and give you an abstract nostalgic feeling of old school challenge, Shinobi fits the bill completely. The gameplay in Shinobi is something that must be experienced. And to keep you coming back, Overworks applied an impressive coin collecting system to unlock its many constructive extras. Hidden through most stages are Orobo Clan coins, collect enough and secrets will be unlocked. Even with all this, Shinobi isn’t for everyone. If your current knowledge of gaming is no older than five years old, it will be doubtful that you will appreciate Shinobi’s homage to old school challenge. But if this sounds right up your alley, and feel that many games are watered down when it comes to these characteristics, then Shinobi is a must own title, without question. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All content © World Zero and may not be reproduced in any manner without expressed written consent.
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