Shinobi (3DS)
Developer: Griptonite Games
Publisher: SEGA
Released: November 15, 2011
MSRP: $39.99

I would like to start things off by saying that this game is not a cake walk and if you want to play this game simply to be a cool ninja in 3D you are going to be frustrated. That being said if you love a game with a challenge then you are going to really enjoy this game as it can even be difficult on the beginner level setting. The levels in the game are not long however they can still take half an hour to complete solely due to the challenge of the game as a whole. A nice thing about the beginner level is that you get better check points, take less damage and half unlimited lives while harder difficulties have finite lives and continues and if you waste them then you start at the very beginning of the game.

The gameplay is still the same from previous Shinobi titles at its core it is a 2D sidescroller with the focus on fighting and and precise platforming and your hero Jiro Musashi has at his disposal the double jump, wall jump and a small selection of melee and ranged attacks to accomplish things in the game. The game definitely rewards a player that has patience during combat as the way to win a fight is to try to predict the enemy’s attack then counter when their defense is down, which in turn builds your combo meter and gives you the feeling of being a bad ass ninja.

Platforming takes a back seat to the combat of the game in the sense that it just doesn’t occur as often as the combat scenarios, which while this is not a bad thing at the same time it isn’t that big of a deal. The controls were not a problem for platforming however sudden pitfalls and spikes hidden from view did cause a few cheap deaths in the game which could have been solved by simply having a more zoomed out camera during those scenarios.

The story is some what difficult to follow but honestly that isn’t anything different from the previous games and any fan of the series is able to piece the story together well enough to enjoy it. The developers knew the story was not the main point and that the gameplay is where it counts and they did a great job and to top it off they through in a bunch of bonus content including achievements. The rewards differ from minor things such as additional outfits or weapons to major things such as boss rush modes and other challenges that really test your skill; the amount you see depends on how much effort and time you put into the game over all.

All in all the game is a lot of fun and has a lot of cool old school elements and gives you a ton of things to do with very impressive gameplay. As I mentioned before this game is for people who enjoy a challenge and don’t care too much for a cohesive story and any other player should look elsewhere. I give the game an 8/10 and a nice title to add to the 3DS.

Nova out!

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