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Being a ninja has rarely felt more awesome

[Note: I decided to repost this review after reading The Last Ninja's retro review of Shinobi III. This was originally posted on February 9, 2013, so not that long before 1UP...you know. All the folks that commented on it then are now here on PixlBit but a bunch of you haven't seen it yet, so enjoy!]

Ninjas and video games go way back. Stealthy, violent, kickin’ awesome—ninjas are a perfect fit for video games (though they often drop stealthy in favor of the other two). Shinobi is one of the most famous ninja franchises and despite being MIA for most of the last decade, its 3DS outing is definitely worth playing.

This game, simply titled Shinobi, stars a new ninja, Jiro, who gets transported through time somehow from feudal Japan to the near future. Or something. And aliens. The plot isn’t that important or easy to follow, though the cut scenes are nice to watch (and can be skipped if you have to replay a level). The game really comes down to the gameplay, and on that front Shinobi delivers. Jiro can run, double jump, wall jump, climb on walls and ceilings, slice with his sword, throw kunai, use four different kinds of ninja magic, and perform a number of special attacks, like a spinning smash into the ground if you use your sword after a double jump or a kunai spread that covers most of the ground if you push that button instead. Though you will repeatedly fight the same enemies, there is a decent variety to them and they’re smart enough that you will need to use Jiro’s various abilities. Most important of all, though, is the parry. Jiro can block almost anything that comes his way, even machine gun fire (he’s a frickin’ ninja!), and becoming proficient with the parry is necessary to see the game through. This threw me for a loop at first because I neglected the parry entirely, relying instead on my ability to dodge attacks. The game soon became frustrating that way and I had to reevaluate my playstyle. Having to parry lends the game a slower pace, although it certainly isn’t slow since you can parry while running or even in the middle of a jump. You just have to time it right.

Once I threw my lot in with parrying, the game opened up. You really can make it through the enemy-infested levels untouched if you’re smart and quick. And you better be smart and quick because the game continually dishes out challenge. You have a set number of lives to complete a level and infinite continues, though you have to start from the beginning of the level if you do lose your last life. Playing on Normal, like I did, also provides several mid-level checkpoints that help alleviate frustration from having to replay sections. (I think the harder difficulties do away with those entirely as well as giving you a set number of continues. Beginner, on the other hand, gives you infinite lives and lessens the damage taken from enemies.) The bosses are classic pattern memory affairs, which can be frustrating the first time you get to them, but soon you’ll be chopping them up without too much trouble.

There is a nice variety to the levels, from a feudal Japanese village to a futuristic city and underwater military base, to name a few. The graphics do a good job of differentiating these settings as well. Though I wish the game used sprites, the 3D environments and polygons look good and don’t suffer any visual hiccups. A few times I had trouble telling what was in the foreground as opposed to the background but in the game’s defense I played with the 3D effects turned off most of the time. The music fares even better, in my opinion, mixing traditional Japanese instruments with orchestral and electronic sounds. Seriously, I hope I can find the soundtrack online somewhere. The only time the game really falters is when it makes you do some platforming. It isn’t very frequent, thankfully, and usually not that bad…until you get to the final level, which is almost entirely platforming with little bits of fighting in between. That level sucked but otherwise, good game.

Shinobi also has a high replay value. Aside from harder difficulties for the main game, there are also in-game achievements to unlock, like getting through a specific level without ever using your sword or beating a certain boss without taking any damage. A bevy of challenge maps will put your ninja skills to the test…if you can unlock them. There are also a bunch of StreetPass Challenges, though you’re not likely to randomly pass someone putting out Shinobi data too, but they’re fun if you have enough Play Coins to activate them.

All in all, Shinobi is a robust package. There is even an Awards Vault that lets you listen to the game’s music, watch any of the cut scenes you’ve seen in the game, and view concept art you’ve unlocked. And fans of the series as well as Shinobi neophytes will appreciate the History section that lists every game in the series, providing a story summary and interesting facts about each title. If you like old school, tough-as-nails action, then Shinobi is an easy recommendation for you, especially since the price has dropped. (Seriously, as of this writing it’s less than $12 on Amazon. That’s a steal, folks.) This game may not be stealthy or overly violent but, like any good ninja, it’s kickin’ awesome.

 

Verdict: B+

[Psst! Amazon is selling this for $10, so now's a great time to get it if you have a 3DS.]