I don’t think that I can call myself a fan of the Shinobi series, but one Shinobi title happens to be one of my favorite games of all time. That game is Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master. As I’ve mentioned, I grew up on the Sega Genesis, and Shinobi III was one of the go-to titles that I’d play over and over again. Starring the most racially confused ninja of all time (Joe Musashi), Shinobi III is an example of the perfect action-platformer. It combines speed, platforming, combat, and challenge to make for a near-perfect experience. Considering that I still play through the adventure on a yearly basis, it’s been a test of time that has yet to be beaten.

Strangely enough, though, I’ve never been able to find another game in the Shinobi series like it. Most of the older titles for the Master System are too dated for me to enjoy, and most other Genesis installments like Revenge of Shinobi and Shadow Dancer play too slowly for me to enjoy. When the series finally made its way to the Playstation 2, I found myself enjoying the Ninja Gaiden series more. When it attempted a Gameboy Advance title, I found it inferior in almost every way to Ninja Five-O. Shinobi III might be the only game in the Shinobi series that I like, but I like it so much that I’ve kept a pretty harsh judgement on all future ninja-based games. Shinobi for the 3DS is the first Shinobi game to be released in nearly 10 years, but I was still intrigued regardless.

Shinobi III offered a perfect blend of speed, combat, and platforming challenge that I have yet to find again.

This new Shinobi puts you in the shoes of Jiro Musashi (Joe’s father) as he battles through the evil forces of Zeed. You begin in feudal Japan as you fight off an assault on your dojo, before suddenly being swept into the distant future by a time warp. That’s about as much of the story as I could make sense of, and I’ve played through the game three times now. You can tell that Shinobi is trying to establish an exciting story, but the cutscenes are so confusing and muddled that I could never make much sense out of them. The art direction is great, but the animation value is low, leading to several cheap frame-by-frame effects that bothered me more than they should have. One moment there’s a close-up of a fly landing on your sword, another moment there’s a random girl going guns blazing, another moment you’re jumping on top of a jet. None of it matters or makes any sense. “You are a ninja, go decimate everything” is enough story for me.

Another thing I want to throw out while we’re talking visuals, is that the actual gameplay doesn’t look amazing. The polygonal models leave a lot to be desired on a system that has been known to deliver smooth graphics, and it leaves me wondering what prevented this game from release on the regular DS. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days delivered polygonal graphics that at least rival Shinobi, and that was back in 2009. The 3D effect is about as minimal as I’ve seen so far from a 3DS title, simply adding depth between you and the background behind you. Artistically, the scenery behind you can look beautiful at times, but graphically, Shinobi feels dated.

It isn't the prettiest 3DS title out there, but it flows well.

Unlike Shinobi III, this game puts a heavier emphasis on combat over straight platforming challenge. Jiro has almost all the same moves Joe had, including the ability to wall jump, double-jump, cling to the ceiling, throw down a rain of shuriken. Also returning are the four “superpower” ninjitsu, which grant you a once-per-life ability to spew fire on the screen, absorb up to three hits, increase your jumping ability, or maintain invincible at the cost of 95% of your life at the end of its duration. The major difference in this new Shinobi, however, is the addition of the katana. With its own attack button, Jiro can slice enemies in multiple directions and several different styles. A perfect timing of the shoulder button uses the katana defensively, parrying your opponent’s attack and leaving them open for takedown. All welcome additions that add for some satisfying takedowns and combos.

Not everything is welcome, however. One major subtraction from the newer Shinobi formula is the ability to sprint. Being forced to walk briskly through each level makes things feel more like a samurai than a ninja. The game’s addition of a stealth kill system is well-intentioned, but entirely useless. Some enemies can be snuck up on and killed in one hit if they’re facing the opposite direction, but they’re all limited to specific instances where a moronic minion has a giant X over their head. Instead of giving you the satisfaction of sneaking down prey, they hand you stealth kills on a silver platter. Not that you won’t need them, though.

Shinobi is a very difficult game. The slower pace means that you need to confront wave after wave of enemy while making minimal mistakes. There are still plenty of extreme and obscure platforming obstacles to be found, but most of my deaths came from simply running out of health. Think Super Meat Boy meets Ninja Gaiden. I know the mere namedrop of either of these games probably just made the hardcore challenge gamers out there salvate, and rightfully so. If you’re into games that force you to mentally map out full sections of a level in advance in order to prevent yourself from dying, you’ll enjoy Shinobi. As a self-proclaimed hardcore challenge gamer, I can honestly say that I had a difficult time finishing the game on normal. At five lives before having to restart an entire 15-minute level all over again, you’ll have to restrain yourself from throwing your 3DS across the room in frustration. The average gamer will without a doubt want to play on beginner, which should still throw up enough difficulty to leave you frustrated toward the end of the adventure. Shinobi also relies on a scoring system at the end of each level depending on how flawlessly you finished, and I’m sure the perfectionists out there will be doing everything they can to max that.  There are also two more sinister difficulties beyond normal, and even I’m not sure I’m ready for them.

Even the first boss will give most newcomers a huge challenge.

Much to my excitement, Shinobi attempts very hard at recapturing elements from Shinobi III. It even goes as far as to remind you on the loading screen that “Shinobi III was released in 1993″. Horseback riding? Check. Surfing? Check. Level full of countless traps and dozens of doors to get lost in? Check. The list goes on and on, but it’s clear that the Griptonite Games tries very hard to draw nostalgia from anyone that has played their best Shinobi title. This might have actually had the opposite effect for me in the long run, though. Because I play Shinobi III every single year, all of the elements are completely fresh in my head. Every time Griptonite adds another element from Shinobi III into their new Shinobi, it ends up feeling more like a set piece than an original idea. The terribly implemented horse and surf sections actually had me wishing I was playing the 1993 installment instead.

In addition to the main adventure, which should run you from a few hours to a few days (depending on your difficulty), Shinobi also has a stockpile of bonus content. My personal favorite are the streetpass challenge maps, which give you one hit to live over a shortened stage. Played at Joe Musashi (not that it matters because you still can’t sprint as him), I found these sections more platform and combat balanced than the main adventure. There are thirteen of those in total, and they added a considerable amount to the time I spent with my copy. There are a ton of achievements to be unlocked, but I didn’t find myself bothering with them much. If you’re a fiend for bonus art, music, and palette swaps, though, there are plenty of things to find.

At the end of the day, my experience with Shinobi was positive, but far from the platforming perfection of Shinobi III. Considering how low my expectations became from the rest of the Shinobi series, though, I was pleasantly surprised. While the muddied graphics and stuttering cutscenes aren’t exactly eye candy, the gameplay is smooth and flows well. The challenge curve might turn off most casual gamers, but there’s definitely a pleasant gaming experience to be had. That being said, it’s hard for me to wholeheartedly tell you to go buy Shinobi new for $35-40 when I still enjoy Shinobi III more (available as part of Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection on PS3 and Xbox 360 for under $20), but it’s it’s still a fun challenge if you’re looking to diversify your 3DS library.

7.0: Good    

How I Review

-Josh