Ninja is an three quarter view game. It fetures good graphics for its day and fun. The game itself is based upon a series of tasks per level that take you to the final boss whom you need to kill. There are a few enemies per level which will frustrate you or challenge you, depending upon how determined you are. watch for small hidden details in the scenery which may include power ups or weapons. The action is real-time and does not slow down. It takes one mistake and you have to start the level all over again. Being careful and observant to the scenery is part of the challenge, the other part is good old fashioned memory. Since there are no 'save points', you had better be prepared to take this on in parts. Memorizing the end level guarians and boss fights is crucial. The scenery itself is something frustrating at times, since you cannot tell what you are walking into or jumping onto. Remember, the graphocs are grainy, compared to the smooth un-pixellated graphics of today's games. Several fatal flips into water or cliff edges can be extrememly frustrating and therefore daunting. The real challenge is knowing when to fight andd when to just run. Some guards can be a real pain but fighting them is not always a great option. Since some weapons are limited, like your throwing stars - which do collasal damage by the way, must be used sparingly. Once you get the ninja sword, you have a more reliable and trusty weapon. The drawback to this however, is that you have to get dangerously close to some of your enemies, bearing in mind that one to three hits can outright kill you and mean a start over. Some of the colors of the enemies can give away the strength of your opponent as well. Watching for things like that and obstacles in the area can ensure success in a fight. Getting trapped by the terrain is a nasty and once again frustrating way to die. Like the real warriors of the day, picking the place to fight and taking stock of the weapons you have at your disposal, all play a major facotr in your survival. Overall an enjoyable game for its day and the graphics were overall good as I stated earlier. The music can get annoying however. Pixelly graphics can lead to a pangs of frustration when in a hard fight, but generally smooth over when you complete the task or level. Ninja nostalgians will enjoy this one!
Written by:
~Macro33
