Ninjamurai Review

David Plamondon • Jul 23, 2011 • Comments ()

Visually speaking, Ninjamurai is a beautiful game. It's hand drawn visuals are striking and give the game a very unique feel. A never changing pastel skyline of a distant city lies in the background as you race through the levels, and an occasional bird will fly by. It's not a lot, but the simplicity of the background complements the occasional visual complexity of the levels foreground. The games soundtrack is similar with simple yet engaging and helping maintain an oriental theme throughout the games levels.

The gameplay mechanics for Ninjamurai are solid, and reminiscent of classics such as Ninja Gaiden, as well as more recent releases like N+ or Super Meat Boy. The game can become quite fast paced, as you run, jump and wall slide your way past enemies and environmental hazards, giving your movement a very parkour feeling. Combat is simple, though it can feel somewhat unsatisfying. The enemies lack physical substance, offering you no physical resistance when you pass through them. Your attacks, while damaging, don't seem so. Striking an enemy temporarily stuns them, leaving them flashing for a moment before attacking you again. Each kill will increase your Chi meter, which allows you to power two special attacks. Switching your combat mode between "stealth" and "combat" allows you to turn invisible, or do a screen clearing attack respectively. Throughout the levels you will also find packages of throwing knives, which will allow you to dispatch enemies at a distance.

At its heart, Ninjamurai is a nostalgic game, harkening back to an old school generation where games were unforgiving and challenging. This level of old school challenge will certainly appeal to hardcore gamers who enjoy a challenge, but may alienate a more casual audience. Ultimately, the amount of content available in the game far surpasses the meagre cost, and anyone who is a fan of side scrolling action games should at least give it a try.

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Ninjamurai is a side scroll action platformer release from Open Emotion Studios available in the PS Mini store. Ninjamurai tells the tale of Takezou Nishimura, of the Azure Monastery, a young ninja warrior bent on battling the Black Armour Corporation. The game offers a 20 level story mode, with both normal and hardcore difficulties, as well as time attack mode, and an unlockable survivor mode. \n\nVisually speaking, Ninjamurai is a beautiful game. It's hand drawn visuals are striking and give the game a very unique feel. A never changing pastel skyline of a distant city lies in the background as you race through the levels, and an occasional bird will fly by. It's not a lot, but the simplicity of the background complements the occasional visual complexity of the levels foreground. The games soundtrack is similar with simple yet engaging and helping maintain an oriental theme throughout the games levels. \n \n $\"ninjamurai-ss-1.jpg\"$ \n\nThe gameplay mechanics for Ninjamurai are solid, and reminiscent of classics such as Ninja Gaiden, as well as more recent releases like N+ or Super Meat Boy. The game can become quite fast paced, as you run, jump and wall slide your way past enemies and environmental hazards, giving your movement a very parkour feeling. Combat is simple, though it can feel somewhat unsatisfying. The enemies lack physical substance, offering you no physical resistance when you pass through them. Your attacks, while damaging, don't seem so. Striking an enemy temporarily stuns them, leaving them flashing for a moment before attacking you again. Each kill will increase your Chi meter, which allows you to power two special attacks. Switching your combat mode between \"stealth\" and \"combat\" allows you to turn invisible, or do a screen clearing attack respectively. Throughout the levels you will also find packages of throwing knives, which will allow you to dispatch enemies at a distance. \n\nAt its heart, Ninjamurai is a nostalgic game, harkening back to an old school generation where games were unforgiving and challenging. This level of old school challenge will certainly appeal to hardcore gamers who enjoy a challenge, but may alienate a more casual audience. Ultimately, the amount of content available in the game far surpasses the meagre cost, and anyone who is a fan of side scrolling action games should at least give it a try.