The arrival of a new year has gotten me feeling nostalgic. I find myself cruising through lists of upcoming titles without much enthusiasm-- this console-generation is pushing the boundaries of what our young minds thought a video game could be, and yet it feels as if the "spark" is all gone.
I visited my local Gamestop last weekend and noticed Ninja Five-O sitting alone in the decrepit Gameboy Advance cabinet. "What," I asked the clerk, "is Ninja Five-O like?"
"Oh, it's this game where you're like a ninja-detective and fight terrorists and stuff. It's kinda like a mix of Shadow Dancer and Bionic Commando."
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Fast-forward a week. My GBA SP has some new scratches-- my wall has a few SP-shaped dents. And Ninja Five-O is finally ready to be reviewed.
You play Joe Osugi-- a ninja-turned-cop. That's all you really need to know-- whatever story the game tries to have is easily ignored because it is simply too cheesy to be taken seriously. With katana in-hand it is your job to kill terrorists and rescue hostages. Here's where it starts to get fun.
Gameplay is as simple as can be. You have a button for jumping, a button for slashing with your sword, and a button for tossing shuriken. Tapping the jump button while in the air allows you to fire your grappling hook and swing Spiderman style across the ceiling, and this mechanic is what separates Ninja Five-O from being "just another sidescrolling platformer". Once attached to a wall or ceiling you use the directional pad to control Joe's momentum, then release the grappling hook to fly through the air. It takes some real getting used to, but nothing quite compares to the glee you'll feel when expertly maneuvering your way across a room with the hook and descending upon an unsuspecting terrorist in mid-flight.
The game offers three levels of difficulty, the hardest of which must be unlocked, and the "Easy" option has never been quite so tempting. Playing through on Normal difficulty is extremely challenging, bordering upon frustrating. With only one life with which to complete each level you will become very accustomed to the "Mission Failed" screen. But NFO's difficulty is part of its charm. It's the same type of quarter-devouring frustration that had you in the arcade every chance you got, and it is naturally accompanied by the same type of blissful satisfaction when you finally overcome it.
Each of the game's missions are divided into four levels-- three of which involve rescuing hostages and finding color-coded keys to advance, and the last of which is a boss encounter. The level designs aren't anything special: you've got your airport, your bank, your underground cave... etc. They are, however, structured in a way that encourages exploration using your grappling hook. The platforms flow smoothly so that swooping through each stage (after dying several times, of course) is like poetry in motion.
NFO's graphics aren't great, even considering the GBA's dated hardware. I was, however, pleased with the game's sense of style. This is a game that knows what it is-- a completely ridiculous, action-packed, ninja-themed platformer. Some of the bosses include a dancing Kabuki samurai, an evil ninja who rides a giant fire-breathing toad, and of course a guy who can summon dragons. There are power-ups that give you the ability to throw fireballs or shoot lasers out of your hands-- both of which are just as awesome as they sound. The point I'm trying to make is that Ninja Five-O is a survivor from the age of gaming where you didn't have to have an epic story or awe-inspiring graphics to be a rewarding piece of entertainment.
In conclusion: Ninja Five-O is what it is. Expect to breeze through it in a few days of scattered gametime. There is a time-attack mode for whenever you feel like beating your old level records on the train to work or during whatever time you've got, but it's not going to satisfy a true gamer's lust for depth and content. If you're looking for a game with the same fast-pace and elegant simplicity of the old Shinobi titles, then look no further.
I visited my local Gamestop last weekend and noticed Ninja Five-O sitting alone in the decrepit Gameboy Advance cabinet. "What," I asked the clerk, "is Ninja Five-O like?"
"Oh, it's this game where you're like a ninja-detective and fight terrorists and stuff. It's kinda like a mix of Shadow Dancer and Bionic Commando."
>>
Fast-forward a week. My GBA SP has some new scratches-- my wall has a few SP-shaped dents. And Ninja Five-O is finally ready to be reviewed.
You play Joe Osugi-- a ninja-turned-cop. That's all you really need to know-- whatever story the game tries to have is easily ignored because it is simply too cheesy to be taken seriously. With katana in-hand it is your job to kill terrorists and rescue hostages. Here's where it starts to get fun.
Gameplay is as simple as can be. You have a button for jumping, a button for slashing with your sword, and a button for tossing shuriken. Tapping the jump button while in the air allows you to fire your grappling hook and swing Spiderman style across the ceiling, and this mechanic is what separates Ninja Five-O from being "just another sidescrolling platformer". Once attached to a wall or ceiling you use the directional pad to control Joe's momentum, then release the grappling hook to fly through the air. It takes some real getting used to, but nothing quite compares to the glee you'll feel when expertly maneuvering your way across a room with the hook and descending upon an unsuspecting terrorist in mid-flight.
The game offers three levels of difficulty, the hardest of which must be unlocked, and the "Easy" option has never been quite so tempting. Playing through on Normal difficulty is extremely challenging, bordering upon frustrating. With only one life with which to complete each level you will become very accustomed to the "Mission Failed" screen. But NFO's difficulty is part of its charm. It's the same type of quarter-devouring frustration that had you in the arcade every chance you got, and it is naturally accompanied by the same type of blissful satisfaction when you finally overcome it.
Each of the game's missions are divided into four levels-- three of which involve rescuing hostages and finding color-coded keys to advance, and the last of which is a boss encounter. The level designs aren't anything special: you've got your airport, your bank, your underground cave... etc. They are, however, structured in a way that encourages exploration using your grappling hook. The platforms flow smoothly so that swooping through each stage (after dying several times, of course) is like poetry in motion.
NFO's graphics aren't great, even considering the GBA's dated hardware. I was, however, pleased with the game's sense of style. This is a game that knows what it is-- a completely ridiculous, action-packed, ninja-themed platformer. Some of the bosses include a dancing Kabuki samurai, an evil ninja who rides a giant fire-breathing toad, and of course a guy who can summon dragons. There are power-ups that give you the ability to throw fireballs or shoot lasers out of your hands-- both of which are just as awesome as they sound. The point I'm trying to make is that Ninja Five-O is a survivor from the age of gaming where you didn't have to have an epic story or awe-inspiring graphics to be a rewarding piece of entertainment.
In conclusion: Ninja Five-O is what it is. Expect to breeze through it in a few days of scattered gametime. There is a time-attack mode for whenever you feel like beating your old level records on the train to work or during whatever time you've got, but it's not going to satisfy a true gamer's lust for depth and content. If you're looking for a game with the same fast-pace and elegant simplicity of the old Shinobi titles, then look no further.