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Long ago, at the birth of one of the world's earliest civilisations, a mysterious clan formed and became known as the Ninja brotherhood. Feared even by the powerful Samurai, their potent combination of martial arts and mind control ensured their place at the top of the oriental hierarchy.

Every ten years, the Ninja army travelled to the Island of Lin Fen to pay homage to the shrine of the White Ninja. Realising that this was the only time in which he would see the entire band of Ninja's en masse, their arch enemy, Kunitoki, seized the opportunity to attempt their total destruction. The evil Shogun summoned forth all the spirits he could muster from the dark side of magic and used them to wipe out all life on the island.

Believing his terrible task to be complete, Kunitoki set sail for the deserted island with his army of guards and Samurai officers. Should these dark forces find the legendary Koga Scrolls, they could become a new Ninja Force - but this time under the evil Emperor's control.

However, one Ninja did live through the holocaust. Armakuni had been left behind to guard the Bunkinkan Shrine, and consequently survived the terrible massacre. Hearing the news of his comrades' betrayal, he too sets out for the remote island - his one purpose in life being the recovery the ancient secrets from the clutches of the Samurai, and revenge for his murdered brothers.

The island of Lin Fen is split into six distinct sections which must be negotiated in order - the Wilderness, Wastelands, Palace Gardens and Dungeons, followed by the lower level of the Palace, and finally the Palace's Inner Sanctum. Each section is loaded separately, and consists of a small maze of pathways crossed by rivers and marshes. A puzzle has to be solved before Armakuni can progress between sections - for instance, having defeated many of the Samurai's guards and traversed a marsh by somersaulting from log to log, he must then pass a firebreathing dragon - but how?

Guards patrol the island, and are either defeated in combat or deftly avoided. Armakuni uses his fists and feet to despatch his opponents, or alternatively uses one of the five weapons found along the way - a sword, nunchukas, three smoke bombs, six shuriken stars and a bamboo staff. Other useful objects include a pouch which enables him to carry other objects, a key, apples (which provide extra lives), a claw, a glove (best worn before picking up a certain object which is otherwise deadly to the touch), an amulet and more.

Ninja Magic is found in certain locations, endowing the hero with temporary invulnerability when collected, and consequently allowing him to overcome otherwise impassable obstacles.

Bordering the playing area is an information display showing the Ninja's energy, weapons carried, weapon in use, object held, and the opponent's energy.

The ZZAP! team got its first glimpse of The Last Ninja in the weeks leading up to the production of our Sampler cassette, and what most impressed me then was the main character's movement - being some of the most realistic I've ever seen. The completed product has lived up to the expectations generated by this early glimpse, and thankfully has arrived with gameplay to match its stunning graphics.

The control method is quite tricky to begin with, but actually adds to the enjoyment when mastered. The music too is more than cosmetic, adding impetus to the player's action as it intermittently speeds up and slows down.

The Last Ninja is one of those rare games which offers hours of consistently puzzling and enjoyable gameplay.

I'm always a sucker for smart graphics, and The Last Ninja has some real crackers - screens and screens of them in fact. The animation on Ninja and his pals is simply gorgeous and I love the way that the character is so flexible: he can execute all manner of movements, depending on his weapon or the item which he's using. The precision needed to co-ordinate all of this movement proves challenging rather than frustrating, and it really feels as if you are controlling a living being, not merely a bunch of sprites.

The lack of a save game feature may prove irritating at a later stage, but this is the only fault I could find with what is otherwise an exceptional piece of software - not to be missed!

The Last Ninja's gameplay isn't anything special, but the concept has been executed extremely well. It isn't as interactive as I would have liked, and when it boils down to it there isn't really much to it - but at least when you solve a problem you feel as though you've achieved something.

The first two loads didn't prove too difficult to complete - they were occasionally frustrating, but not overly taxing. The graphics however are nothing short of brilliant, with solid and realistic backdrops and beautifully animated sprites. I particularly like the way that the Ninja and his enemies produce their weapons prior to a fight - very effective. There's something about The Last Ninja which reminds me of an Ultimate adventure, although that said, this is far more enjoyable to play, even with the multi-load.

Presentation 90%
Excellent, apart from the inflexible multi-load.

Graphics 98%
Stunning animation across superb and varied backgrounds.

Sound 88%
Twelve pleasant and suitably Oriental tunes, adding greatly to the tension and atmosphere.

Hookability 93%
Tricky control method, made up for by the relative ease of the initial screens.

Lastability 91%
Each of the 150 screens provides a real challenge.

Overall 94%
Enough depth and action to satisfy both adventurers and martial artists.