Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Shinobi

Written by John Scalzo on June 07, 2002

First Impressions: I ask again, can a remake of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker really be that far behind?

Is there any developer out there that is more of a friend to the old school gamer than Sega? After everything they've done in the last few months I doubt anyone will be able to challenge the Hedgehog home for that title for a long time. Whether it's Sega's plan to bring classic Genesis and Saturn games to the Xbox. Or maybe it's the resurrecting of old games on next generation consoles like Virtua Cop, Panzer Dragoon, and ToeJam & Earl. Oh, and don't forget to include on that list the ninja classic Shinobi.

Just a few days ago another stealthy 8 bit ninja, Ryu Hayabusa of Ninja Gaiden fame, emerged from a long absence in a game coming to the Xbox. It's only fitting that Shinobi comes out of hiding as well. Shinobi takes place in modern day Tokyo. A huge earthquake has flattened the city and turned it into a wasteland of crumbling buildings and twisted metal. It is right before this time that our ninja hero, Hotsuma, has earned the right to wield a cursed sword. The sword is powerful, but like a vampire it needs to feed on blood. And if Hotsuma doesn't give it the blood of others, the sword will turn on Hotsuma and feed off him. So Hotsuma dons his ninja threads (including a very Spawn-like red cape which look really cool) and ventures out into the city to feed the sword with blood.

The first thing you'll notice about Shinobi is the speed. Hotsuma is always moving and with that movement comes a serious set of ninja moves. Hotsuma moves with lightning speed and he can jump off walls, climb up walls, double jump, climb, and the all-important Ninja Dash. The Ninja Dash allows you to zip around a level extremely fast and is one of the cooler looking effects in the game. These speedy moves perfectly compliment the weapon selection Hotsuma has before him. There is the cursed sword, which has a power meter, so when you kill several enemies in a short period of time the sword becomes stronger and makes for much more effective slicing and dicing. This sword is all well and good, but if I'm playing Shinobi I want one thing: ninja stars! Thankfully, ninja stars are plentiful in this new version of Shinobi and are as deadly as ever.

Much like Maximo, Shinobi is being built as a straightforward action title. None of those goofy Resident Evil style fetch quests here. Nope this is old school get from point A to point B without dying and while killing everything that moves. And there will be plenty to kill as early screen shots and movies show Hotsuma going up against at least ten enemies at the same time. Crouching Tiger this.

Shinobi appears to deliver the goods in the visual department as well. The speed of everything really brings this look home. Ninjas flying wildly around the screen in a frantic melee, oh it's a beautiful thing. All of this taking the form of very sharp looking characters and sweat third-person environments. The post-apocalypse looks fun. Even this early, Shinobi's solid frame rate tells a lot.