Shinobi

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Shinobi is an Action-Platformer released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. Known in Japan as Shinobi 3D, this is the 12th and as of this writing final entry in the Shinobi series of Sega games that have you fighting through enemies as a ninja.

The presentation here is good, making use of 3D visuals for the characters and backgrounds, backed by energetic music inspired by the sort of traditional Japanese music you expect to see in a game about ninjas. There’s nothing truly exceptional here, but it all works well for the game.

As for that game, Shinobi is a particularly tough Action-Platformer, and it is very demanding of its players. One of the key elements of combat is a parry button that requires fairly precise timing to defend against enemy attacks, and the game’s levels are filled with hazards as well. Expect to die a lot.

A part of the issue here is the camera, which doesn’t stay off to the side, but takes various angles to try to give the game a cinematic feel. Unfortunately, I found that this often obscured enemies or made it harder to judge jumps, which were already hard enough without this problem.

In the end, I found Shinobi to be a decent Action-Platformer, but one that just isn’t my sort of game. The exacting nature of the gameplay combined with the unhelpful camera made for a frustrating experience that I had trouble enjoying. Others may find this to be a solid entry in the genre, but I’m not sure this is one I would want to go back to.

tl;dr – Shinobi is an Action-Platformer where players fight through enemies and jump their way through obstacle-filled areas as a ninja. This game’s high difficulty level and frustrating camera will not be for everyone, though more skilled fans of the genre may find it to be a fun challenge.

Grade: C

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