Shinobi Review
After a several year long hiatus, the Shinobi franchise is back with an all new side-scrolling ninja adventure. Shinobi on 3DS brings back the classic feel of an arcade action game, complete with tense action, limited lives and resources, and the constant pursuit of a high score. Though the crushing difficulty can be disheartening at times, the solid gameplay and plentiful modes are ideal for anyone looking for a challenge.
Shinobi’s story is told via dramatic 2D image sequences that flash across the screen without any dialogue to weigh them down. Occasionally there’s a somewhat cryptic voice over, but for the most part the plot relies upon stylish, minimalist flair to show off the varied ninja action. Of course, this also means that it is somewhat hard to follow exactly what is happening–Jiro Musashi doesn’t speak and so doesn’t exactly provide motivation for his sword-slicing ways. In the end, these interludes are bare-boned attempts to explain the setting of the next stage, but that works out just fine; the meat of this game is in the action, not the narrative, and there’s plenty of action here.
Boss fights are a test of endurance; watch your health bar while dealing out the damage.
Shinobi’s gameplay is classic arcade-style action, meaning the stages challenge you with not only reaching the end but retaining your extra lives and racking up a high score. There’s plenty of old-school charm to this set-up, but at the same time it can be undeniably frustrating when you first tackle a new stage. The nostalgic charm that makes the game feel like a trip to the past where skill and progress were eked out by the callouses in your thumbs brings with it many of the design choices that would make you tear your hair out, such as getting knocked back when hit–getting knocked back into a pit has been and always will be a mind-bogglingly annoying feature. Furthermore, returning to the beginning of the stage when you lose all your extra lives can be equally frustrating; each stage can be fairly long, some with several distinct sections and action sequences, which makes retreading them quite a slog.
While the game appears at first glance to be a standard action/platformer, Shinobi is highly technical in its own way. You can’t expect to dash through the entire stage mashing the attack button; for one, Jiro moves surprisingly slowly for a ninja, and for two, parrying and countering attacks is the real way to dispatch enemies efficiently. Each stage has a certain flow of combat and movement, using all of Jiro’s sword-slashing and shuriken-throwing skills. Moving with this flow is the best way to progress, though at times the game can feel like a long sequence of trial and error as you work out where enemies are placed and what is the best way to fight them. There are few things more annoying than running headlong into an enemy or getting hit by enemies just off screen. Every inch you gain here comes at a significant cost, which is what makes the game so difficult but at the same time satisfying to beat. Coupled with the fact that you earn a score based on your performance and Shinobi is ideal for detail-oriented gamers looking to play perfectly. For anyone who just wants to reach the end of the game, it might come across as tiresome and occasionally cruel.
The occasional action scene breaks up the standard platforming.
Though the controls are generally simple and perfectly easy to pick up and play, they are a little oddly spread out over the 3DS’ buttons. This doesn’t make the game difficult to play at all, but it just seems like some actions like grappling don’t need their own button.
Shinobi puts cel-shaded 3D graphics to excellent use. The stylish use of color and, in general, simple shapes creates a look that is reminiscent of traditional graphics but is still distinctly modern. The stereoscopic 3D isn’t quite as impressive, though. Granted, it’s a side-scrolling game, but there are few memorable areas that put the 3D effect to use, yet oddly there are portions that seem like they should be in 3D–including a horseback riding sequence–but fail to take advantage of the added depth. The visuals are noticeably sharper with the 3D turned off, so in the end it is slightly better to not use it at all. The soundtrack, meanwhile, is a lot of fun and helps set the action-packed ambiance that the gameplay promotes. The distinctly Japanese-influenced songs reinforce the ninja setting even as you’re battling helicopters and racing across trains.
Use ninja magic for a significant boost--it'll cost you some points, though.
Shinobi is no slouch when it comes to content. While you can conceivably finish the main game fairly quickly–particularly if you don’t die and restart too much–the game is packed with a wealth of features to keep you coming back for more punishment. Unlike other games, the higher difficulty levels actually provide a unique challenge, giving you less lives, less continues, and even changing up the enemies themselves. Each stage hides a handful of secrets that, when found, unlock bonuses in the gallery. You can also replay any level you’ve beaten and can also unlock special challenge stages. If you pass another Shinobi player via StreetPass, you can unlock even more bonus stages. With all of this bonus content and with the opportunity to earn high scores on each stage, Shinobi is jam-packed with gameplay guaranteed to make you tear your hair out and keep coming back for more.
Shinobi feels like a classic arcade game brought to a modern game system, for better or for worse. Fans of the series will no doubt appreciate the old-school gameplay and difficulty, though new players might have a harder time growing accustomed to some of the more annoyingly archaic features. But, as is often the case with these excessively challenging games, the satisfaction of completing a level is the real reward; any player looking for a challenging game on the 3DS should be well satisfied with Shinobi.
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