Shinobi for the 3DS marks a return to form for SEGA?s franchise ninja series. It?s been quite a while since we?ve seen a Shinobi title of any kind, the last being the combo of Shinobi and Nightshade on the PS2. Since then the only ninja that?s been ruling the video game world has been Ryu Hayabusa. Griptonite Games, the developers of Shinobi on 3DS, have made a pretty great attempt at capturing what made the Shinobi games so enjoyable in the 16 bit era. Namely tough as nails gameplay and adequate ratio of combat to platforming, and a score based system that keeps the action addictive despite your numerous failures.
The Musashi family name returns again in Shinobi on 3DS, but this time you?ll take control of series protagonist Joe?s father, Jiro Musashi. The game begins in feudal Japan, but through the inclusion of video-game time travel magic, Jiro is propelled to the future. In the future enemies change from fellow ninja to corporate soldiers, and as the game progresses you?ll start to see a mix of the two enemy types. The enemies that populate the game are pretty varied, and you?ll need to make use of different tactics, like air attacks, charge attacks and so on to take them down.
The gameplay seems to be on the same pace as Shinobi III, and overall I?d say the game feels to be liberally modeled after the SEGA Genesis classic. Jiro isn?t the quickest ninja around, his walk and run speeds are pretty deliberate, so he?s not nearly as flashy as you might expect. The movement can be a little off putting for those expecting some type of speed, but you?ll come to find that the pace of the game fits the level design pretty well. You can?t just run in because enemies will respond to your presence quickly, and trying to charge into the action will generally see you hit with a few projectiles for your trouble. There?s an almost puzzle like element to the way you?ll tackle some of the stages, and if you?re a score hound you?ll have a hell of a time getting above a B rank within your first few playthroughs.
Thankfully the sound design is fantastic, with a pretty great soundtrack that doesn?t just ape what came before. The FX for various attacks feels nice and punchy, with plenty of appropriate KWANG?S and THWACK?S that help deliver some of the blows you see on screen. The soundtrack has a pretty good mix of upbeat get hyped tempos mixed in with some more ambient, emo style sounds that feel appropriate to the on screen action.
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