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First came The Last Ninja. Then there was another one (obviously the first one wasn't the only last one). Now the first sequel has returned again - similar to the second last one but different from the first. Confused? Let our reviewer shed some light on the proceedings...

There's no real need for an introduction here, since The Last Ninja series of games are almost a legend in their own lifetimes, with huge sales and critical acclaim from magazines and gameplayers alike.

This is all well and good but, while The Last Ninja is currently available on budget, The Last Ninja 2 has been discontinued and is no longer available. And all those people who bought their C64s in the last few months will know nothing of the legend of The Last Ninja. To solve this problemette, System 3 decided to re-launch The Last Ninja 2, but redesigned, repackaged and with a few extra bells and whistles. For everyone who has just bought a C64, been using a C64 in the outer Hebrides, or picked up this magazine by mistake, this is what the fuss is all about.

The game is similar to its predecessor, in that it takes place against an isometric 3D landscape. Flung into the urban jungle of the Big Apple the Ninja warrior, Armakuni, is intent on tracking down the Shogun Kunitoki, and despatching this evil warlord wizard once and for all (or until The Last Ninja III, at any rate).

The path to Kunitoki's lair leads Armakuni through a park, city streets, sewers, a warehouse, an office block and finally into the basement that Kunitoki call 'home'. The scenic graphics are excellent.

Produced in a similar fashion to those in Time Machine, each screen is redrawn every time it is entered. The split-second delay doesn't interrupt the action at all and this method allows the most complex screens to be built up. Overall, the effect is simply stunning (well, it stunned me).

Armakuni's new world exists in 'true' 3D and so he has to be guided through doors, around objects and up ladders in order to fully explore his surroundings. And as you would expect, this isn't just a magical mystery tour: there are plenty of people who like nothing better than to take a large stick to our hero and beat seven shades of sushi out of him.

Of course, being a Ninja warrior trained in the art of 'not being duffed up a treat', Armakuni's having none of this. He has loads of combat moves at his command from kicking and punching through to shuriken-chucking, rice-flailing and stick-wielding. Indeed, the huge range of joystick moves that need to be mastered can be a bit daunting at first but these are handled so well that guiding Armakuni soon becomes second nature (mind you, you'll need a 'stick with good diagonals).

Unfortunately, enemies are only rendered unconscious by Army's efforts: leave them alone long enough and they wake up for a second dose!

And so the mission continues ever onwards. Amakuni has to collect certain items that are needed on the next or later levels before making his way to the exit. Thankfully. once a level has loaded in total coming to a grisly end only sends you back to the start of that level, avoiding the usual multiload problems (er.. cartridge owners needn't worry about ths bit).

The gameplay is a pot-pourri of arcade action: exploring, puzzle solving and clue-finding, which is about as close to an interactive movie as you're likely to get on the C64. There's a large amount of lateral thinking called for, and a not small amount of experimentation! Certainly mapping isn't a bad idea since the viewpoint occasionally switches, adding disorientation to the list of problems all clamouring for your attention.

At first the game can prove to be a bit tricky, since some collectible objects are indicated but other items are only found by hunting round in places like bins and women's toilets(!). And all this time, you face the unwelcome prospect of losing another of your precious lives!

Last Ninja Remix is a great game, beautifully designed and superbly presented. My only reservation in recommending it is that the cartridge-only Last Ninja II is almost upon us. But then, why not hone your Ninjutsu skills with this one, ready for the forthcoming battle!

Ninja Remix features a new animated intro, a new status screen, different music for all six levels and slightly tweaked gameplay so it flows better.

Some of the opponents are a tad easier to defeat and a few pick-ups are easier to... well... pick up. In answer to gamers' comments, the mission is now played against a time limit and there's a final score so you can see how well you've done and play against your earlier scores. So now you know.

1. Superb graphics - beautifully drawn and incredibly detailed.
2. Realistic animation of the characters.
3. Puzzle/adventure/combat gameplay is extremely captivating and addictive.
4. Nicely structured multi-load makes life as pleasant as possible for tape owners.
5. A host of smart soundtracks for that authentic "Ninja in New York" ambience (Well, sort of!)
6. Instinctive joystick control makes light of the complex manoeuvres available.
7. 95 varied screens make exploring as much fun as completing the mission!

1. A mite too tricky to start off with!