Developer: Natsume Publisher: Natsume Released: 1990 Genre: Action
Ninja Gaiden was a seminal part of the NES library and a revered classic. Like Castlevania before it Ninja Gaiden’s action and pacing were completely unique in its genre. So it is a bit surprising that there weren’t more games in that style. Castlevania has Holy Diver and, ugh, 8 Eyes after all. Natsume’s Shadow of the Ninja is the closest comparison to Tecmo’s classic and while not quite as good is still a pretty awesome game in its own right.
It’s interesting to notice the similarities between the two series. Shadow of the Ninja released in the US in 1991, the same year as Ninja Gaiden 3. But it initially came out in 1990 in Japan. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tecmo borrowed a few elements from it such as hanging from platforms. Both games share the ninja motif do well Tecmo released the Gameboy port of Shadow of the Ninja as Ninja Gaiden Shadow. And no one blinked twice. With its two-player coop the game somewhat manages to have its own feel although it doesn’t completely escape from its competition’s shadow.
Although this is similar to Ninja Gaiden it does have its differences. You won’t find ninja magic or any such items. There are a range of weapons, from a grappling hook and bombs to throwing stars. Most weapons can be powered up to three times but will degrade if you take too many hits. The only caveat is you can only carry one at a time. Oftentimes the choice comes down to short range but powerful attacks or weak long range weapons. It is very limiting, and the game doesn’t necessarily seem designed to work around both choices.
The pacing in Shadow of the Ninja is different from most action titles. Rather than a constant barrage of well-placed weaker enemies you’ll face more singular, stronger enemies. These troops tend to take multiple hits and become progressively more difficult later. Some split in two after taking damage while others take ridiculous amounts of punishment before death. While there aren’t the equivalent of Medusa heads or hawks the game does have its share of annoying enemies. Each new stage seems to introduce at least one bad ass who does nothing but push you into the nearest pit. While pits don’t equal instant death the massive loss of health is just as bad.
As much as I like the obstacle course style level design I do have some issues. The weapons and their hit detection aren’t perfect. The short range of the sword and its lacking power are incredibly frustrating. Trading it for the grappling hook isn’t much better. Only the tip can damage enemies, meaning enemies in close range get free hits. While the game is a little short this is an issue that becomes grating in short order. Better balancing would have gone a long way to making this truly exceptional.
If there is one area Shadow of the Ninja is a bit too similar to Ninja Gaiden it is its challenge. This is not an easy game and might even trump that title. You have a single life and five continues; at least Tecmo gave you infinite credits. And if you play coop you share continues! On top of the small pool of credits they don’t even refill your life bar after each level. You’ll fight for every inch of progress as the enemies are sturdier than your basic fare. I found some of the enemy placement suspect which leads to cheap hits. The boss battles are both the most exciting part of the game and also the most frustrating as the bastards put up a fight. The game is a little generous with health power-ups but the journey is still rough. You will not finish this in one sitting.
At the very least you’ll have top notch production values to keep you going. Nearly all of Natsume’s Nintendo titles share a similar look and this is no different. The dark color scheme gives the game to show off plenty of detail using shadows and highlights. The music is pretty good, even if it does sound a little like the game that inspired it. The only thing Shadow of the Ninja lacks is an identity. Look closely and you can see inspiration from numerous other NES titles. You have robots and mechs like Power Blade, ninjas, and weather effects straight out of a Sunsoft game. It’s not that it is bad, just highly unoriginal.
While it doesn’t have an original bone it its body it doesn’t matter. It cribs from many titles yet blends them all together to create a solid action whole. Shadow of the Ninja is a great second tier action game once you’ve completed Ninja Gaiden and Shatterhand. Flawed but still pretty good.
