On paper this reads like the best thing since a broken cash machine that freely empties itself of tenners. Set in a near-future Japanese metropolis, Nightshade casts you as a ninja chick in a tight-fitting stealth suit that enables the wearer to stick to walls and Spidey and dash around like Thierry Henry on amphetamines. Our ninjette is armed with a katana, a pair of short swords, shuriken stars plus some magic, and standing before her are an army of nether-worldly creatures and anti-government conspirators in the pay of a nefarious mega corporation. With a distinctly 'arcadey' rather than 'adventurey' learning, your mission is to sneak through the various urban locations and dispose of all who stand in your way. Sounds good, huh?
The Lost Ninja
Unfortunately, the reality is the equivalent of a cash machine that tells you your funds have run dry, and then promptly swallows your card. You see, little has changed since last year's disappointing Shinobi - Sega failing to address the majority of frustrations that gave OPS2 cause to award it a mere 60%. It's too short, the levels are linear, the enemies too generic, the story inconsequential, the camera ropey and, most distressingly of all, the combat is a disappointment. Bummer. Our lead character still sports a lovely flowing scarf, mind.
So where to start? Well, combat is at the game's core so... When you hit something, or someone, with a bloody big sword, you want to feel like you've really smacked them, really done them some damage. In Nightshade it feels more like you've tickled them with one of Ken Dodd's feather dusters, and the only time you get a proper sense of connecting with your enemy is when they block your attack, whereupon there's a satisfying "ka-ching". This isn't helped by the fact that enemies will freeze when defeated, falling to the floor and disintegrating after a few seconds. There is purpose to this, though. String attacks together, striking numerous enemies before they hit the deck and you'll earn 'Tate', which adds to your overall end-of-level score and ranking. It's still a bit naff though.
One of the main criticisms of Shinobi was the aerial combat. This still holds true. Some beasties float or attach themselves to walls, and you need to employ the clinging and springing abilities of the stealth suit to reach them. While it's a neat idea, the camera often makes it tricky to judge where the enemy is actually located and there were plenty of times when we were pitched into bottomless chasms after misjudging a distance through, we'd like to think, little fault of our own.
As mentioned, there are several other problems with Nightshade. However, it's not an awful title, just one that leaves you feeling somewhat unsatisfied, doubly so because the premise is such an appealing one. Although from an entirely different school of swordsmanship, Maximo does the same thing a whole lot better.