PS2 (NTSC U/C)-Nightshade by SEGA (Yay!)
release on 14/2/2004
Genre: Action
Boxshot:
Preview:
Tokyo is beginning the slow and tedious process of repairs after defeating HirukoÂ’s demon minions. Just as life is returning to normal, a new rift opens between Earth and the evil realm, threatening the population once again. Unwilling to take such supernatural threats lightly, the Japanese government enlists the talents of Hibana, a skilled kunoichi (female ninja) with a keen understanding of both martial and mystical arts.
In less than a yearÂ’s time, Overworks (now renamed Sega Wow) had been able to follow-up on their underrated PS2 ninja title Shinobi with the female-fronted Kunoichi. With such a short development period I wasnÂ’t expecting to be amazed, especially knowing that this was meant to be a side-story. Yet I did know that the gameplay of Shinobi would stay practically intact, so I was expecting to at least be satisfied with Kunoichi. As it turned out, not only was I amazed, Overworks also took the time to distance Kunoichi from Shinobi from an aesthetic standpoint.
Story-wise, things start off where Shinobi ended. The cursed sword Akujiki has been shattered into several pieces and scattered all over Tokyo. The enigmatic Nakatomi Corporation has started to collect all parts of the sword for a diabolical purpose. You play Hibana a highly skilled ninja enlisted by the Japanese government to investigate Nakatomi and recover the swordÂ’s segments.
Right from the beginning the differences from Shinobi become apparent. Overall, Kunoichi is highly ‘technofied’, from the pre-game menus to Hibana’s computer-helmet interface during the cut scenes. This game means to do away with the traditional Japanese settings of temples and cherry blossom shrines that was seen in Shinobi. It’s amazing how easy cursors, hexagonal layouts, and data screens can give a game like this a futuristic feel. These are just some of the many differences that, in my opinion, make Kunoichi less of an orthodox ninja title and more of a comic book superhero game.
The gameplay is as good as it gets. Attacks are straightforward when used in harmony with the lock-on. Pulling of time-sensitive consecutive attacks create the game’s combos, known from Shinobi as ‘tate’. Shurikens have a stun capability though lose their usefulness as the game progresses since the presence of armored foes escalates. The Shinobi staple of ninja magic is also present. Aside from these familiar features, Kunoichi one-ups things with added moves that are both helpful and manageable. One of these moves is an enhanced kick that is a necessary attack in disabling some enemy defenses. Not only can it be used on the ground but also in mid-air, in which case it doubles as a ‘flight’ move to keep you briefly airborne, that is if you can make contact with a target. There’s also a double-sword attack that not only delivers a stylish assault, but also increases Hibana’s hit count.
Two significant gameplay changes over Shinobi are the dramatically high tate-counts and an adjustment in the charge-up attack. Double-digit tates are commonplace and even triple-digit tates are possible provided youÂ’re good enough. The developers did an ingenious though simple job of fading out tated targets in order to reduce enemy over-population and slowdown. While the charge-up attack in Shinobi was somewhat useful, it has become more of a necessity in Kunoichi. Saving up power for the charge-up becomes an objective in order to defeat certain bosses.
The cinematic tate finishes are eye-catching, putting Hibana in several poses, many accentuating her femininity. Many times she’ll wish her enemies ‘oyasumi’ (goodnight) as they fall apart from her tate. One particular finish is presented in a grainy ‘kung-fu’ film style (which was the rage in 2003 with such titles as Viewtiful Joe and Kung Fu Chaos), It’s well done though feels out of place in a game like Kunoichi.
Speaking of sci-fi Kunoichi is also less of a traditional ninja game because of its dominant monster theme. Perhaps OverworksÂ’ 2003 merger with SegaÂ’s Wow Entertainment has inspired an extra-terrestrial vibe since many of KunoichiÂ’s enemies could have been lifted from WowÂ’s Alien Front Online. These include spider-like beasts, humongous worms, oversized flying insects and fortified beetles. Essentially, the game has a lot of giant bugs that will give you Starship Troopers flashbacks. Yes, there is a fair amount of ninjas though they share the enemy duties with these monsters as well as with various mechanical weapons.
For those who found the level designs of Shinobi to be plain and unimaginative, they’ll find less to complain about in Kunoichi. Although most of the stages have a standard ‘get to point-B’ approach, there are a multitude of challenges to face aside from the typical hordes of enemies. A number of the stages are set in the Nakatomi complex (though you don’t revisit the Nakatomi stage from Shinobi) and this facility offers maze-like corridors, deep stairwells, and Akira/Metal Gear Solid-inspired inclined moving platforms. There are even challenging though welcomed moving-vehicle stages that involve a bit of multitasking, not to mention platform-heavy areas. Finally, there are more than enough bottomless stages to keep things perpetually tense though rewarding once cleared.
I am grateful that Kunoichi retains free-camera accessibility. You can spin the camera around 360 degrees along the horizontal plane and tilt the camera up and down to a considerable degree, keeping Hibana centered as much as possible. The camera is also agile enough to switch from target to target instantly no matter where targets are in relation to Hibana (provided the lock-on is activate). Optimum graphical detail was sacrificed in order to provide this kind of camera flexibility, which I feel this was an incredibly wise decision by the developers.
Like its predecessor, Kunoichi has a number of worthwhile bonuses to enhance its replay value. In fact, there are noticeably more extras here than in Shinobi. Aside from the additional characters and costumes, thereÂ’s a host of additional modes outside the main game. ThereÂ’s the Survival Mode, which as you might expect, pits you against a seemingly endless roster of the gameÂ’s enemies. Mission Mode is a VR style array of demanding assignments. Time Attack features speed-emphasized objectives.
The music is a perfect fit for this modern-day setting. The tunes lean heavily towards electronic music though there is the occasional genre deviation and even a revisit from a Shinobi track. Composition quality ranges from remarkable to simply appropriate. My personal favorite is Stage 2Â’s background music, which is a pounding, forward-moving techno track.
Despite that Kunoichi is sparse in the classical ninja sense, it doesnÂ’t stop it from being a must-have. Even after all the coins are collected and the various difficulties are beaten, the gameplay is seemless, addictive and trouble-free enough to keep the average adventure gamer coming back, even if itÂ’s just a 10 minute fix for a stage or two.
estimated price $76
Originally posted by Bochupi:hmm...so empty ah?
