Shinobi (NES)

Thanks for all those that voted in the poll! This week; Tengen games!

Difficulty: ***
Controls: ****
Sound: **
Graphics: ***1/2
Overall: 12 1/2 out of 20 stars

The most notorious criminals around the world have banded together. And they've kidnapped the children of various political figureheads! They call themselves the Ring of Five. You are called Shinobi. A master ninja hired to rescue the children and put an end to the Ring!

You have five missions (each about 3-4 stages), 3 lives and no continues to beat the game. In the latter portions of the game you'll be tested on how well you can leap in and out of danger, so mastering the jump/super jump is essential! Also figuring out the weak point of each boss will have you staying alive a lot longer. The one fact that makes this game a little easier than most other games of its ilk is the fact you have a life bar. Thanks Tengen!

Moving and controlling Shinobi around is a piece of cake. The 'B' button throws either a shuriken, dart or fires your gun (whichever one you have gained). The 'A' button jumps as well you can do a super jump by holding the up arrow key. Killing ten enemies in a stage will permit you to use one of your ninjitsu arts (if you won any in the previous bonus round) by pressing A+B. Two gripes, when you use your super jump you cannot move around, so make sure you plan your jump accordingly. Two, for a ninja he moves really slow!

No opening theme? Not even a little ditty on the mission screen? Ugh..no excuse for that! Once you do start the game you'll be treated to the same theme over and over again. Its not bad but it gets repetitive. The sound effects are just OK too. The main standout however is the sound your super jump makes (very mystical!) There could have been so much more to this game...

Graphically Tengen games are known to sport some good visuals. Shinobi is filled with enemies while not too detailed, are colourful and big. The bosses look alright, but the helicopter from mission two and Mandara bosses look sweet. You are treated to basically white clumps as children, why couldn't they have more diversity then that? Maybe a little speech bubble that says "HELP! HELP!" would have been nice. And the level design is quite good too. Some detail in the backgrounds helps the game from getting the 'yawn' treatment. I would like to note the Marilyn Monroe posters in stage 1-2 look excellent though!

While not one of the longest games. Shinobi does provide an action packed evening of gaming goodness. The controls are responsive and save for some jumping hiccups, is great. The music is uninspired, repetitive and lacks a ton of variety. However the sound effects are good. The sprites aren't too detailed but they are big and colourfull. The layout of each stage is nice and some attention to detail can be seen. Ninja grab a copy if you see one for cheap. Someone has to break the Ring of Five, so it may as well be you! Won't someone think of the children?