Previous Next

There certainly seems to be some absolute classics appearing on the budget labels at the moment, and Shinobi is certainly no exception to that. A solid gold success the first time around, the budget blast should do equally well, featuring the same oriental artistry and Ninja magic.

The evil Bwah Foo has kidnapped the entire junior class of the Ninja School and you, Joe Musashi, are the only Ninja good enough to go and get them back from Foo's hidden lair.

Set over five excellent levels, you must go into the fray armed only with your fists and feet and a handful of deadly Shuriken.

Each of the levels is jampacked with Foo's henchmen, and you must take each and every one of them on, in a desperate struggle to locate the missing children before the time limit runs out and they are put to death.

At the end of each level, one of Foo's most deadly companions awaits you but, to earn your place in a battle to the death with him, you must first locate each child on the level. Walking over them will transport them home and boost your points considerably. Save several and you will earn yourself a much-needed power up weapon and, when the going gets really tough, remember that old Ninja Magic.

You can use it once per level, so use it very wisely indeed to get you through the worst of the fight. Make it to the core of Foo's hideout and you've done very well indeed, in this superb Ninja blast that really did outshine many of the other similar offerings.

Excellent graphics, fluid movements, clevery-thought-out scenario and smart sound effects all add up to make Shinobi one of the best value games on the market, even as a full price blast. As a budget title, it really should not be missed and is bound to shoot up the charts the minute it hits the shelves.