Ninja Warriors (SNES) review "Upgrades? Are you serious? My friend, you are the upgrade system."

Ninja Warriors has a reputation to live up to. At least, it does in Japan. This title exists in a strange place where the Japanese release was called "Ninja Warriors, Again" as a reference to the 1984 arcade The Ninja Warriors. For some reason, even though the soundtrack is beloved, Taito didn't believe anyone would remember its associated game in the West.

They weren't exactly wrong. What we have here is a side-scrolling single-plane 2D fighter. Watch the Terminator-inspired introduction text scroll through the foreboding story of a tyrannical overlord and the rebel forces that would depose him. You play one of three ninja androids, each programmed to assassinate this nasty fellow with an even worse name: "Banglar." He must be evil incarnate because he's got no hair, pointed ears and red eyes like an orc in a suit.

Which one will you choose? Kamaitachi is a weasel-looking humanoid with lethal sickles hanging from each arm; Kunoichi is a svelte blond-haired warrior wielding both katana and kunai; and finally, Ninja, a hulking masked behemoth wielding steel nunchakus. The first favours speed and agility but lacks penetrating or grabbing ability. The second is swift and flexible with aerial strikes but with a slow reaction speed. The third is the slowest but can knock down or carry large opponents with ease, even bosses.

When you start, you'll notice several things right away: Ninja Warriors is colourful, the music is pumpin', and the combat is...well, slow. Perhaps a more accurate word for it would be 'deliberate.' You crash through the window at Headquarters and are confronted by one-hit tumble soldiers. Like any well-designed game, you're given time to learn, and the tutorial is in practice and experimentation.

Blocking, grappling, and steadily charging the Blaster gauge vary things out of sheer necessity. You can, at any time at all, block incoming attacks with a single button press. There's no counter system to be had, so you must time your blocks carefully or be knocked on your metal fanny. Some enemies can pick you up for a toss, as well, adding a rock-paper-scissors element to gameplay. The Blaster can be frustrating; it charges consistently only so long as you don't get knocked down. Once full, the screen-wide blast can be invaluable if used wisely. It also enables alternative attacks at the end of your standing combo if you apply the D-pad modifier correctly.

Grappling and throwing round out the available roster of combat mechanics. Listen to me right now. If you've any aspiration of becoming the 'hero' and assassinating Banglar, master throws. No arguments, trust me. You may learn to cheese some enemies with low blows, especially with Kamaitachi, who seems optimized for such. Still, the quantity and variety of enemies are going to make the "Game Over" screen a regular event. Not to fear! Continues are infinite, and you only have to restart the level if you fail.

In the tried and true arcade formula of quarter munching continues, you don't get upgrades. You heard that right: You are the upgrade system. As you progress, your understanding of enemy behaviour, room layout, and hard-won experience will be your lone ally. The developers surely knew how to portray the treacherous, dangerous life of an android assassin ninja.

Unfortunately, some of the sprites haven't aged well, such as Kunoichi, who isn't proportioned correctly. The sole female style humaniform of the lot, one has to wonder why, except that blond are bombshells, they could have at least drawn her with a measure of anatomical accuracy.

Just look at the way she stands. You'll get it. Kamitachi and Ninja look fine, really, and so does the rest of the cast. If you're familiar with the original Japanese release, you'll know that all female characters in this game have similar "issues." Ninja Warrior's sprites have plenty of detail, and the combat animations are meaty and satisfying, but this artistic choice stands out as an odd feature.

Overall, you're going to find that the thought and reflex-testing combat is entertaining to learn and master. The music is especially energetic, and the 90s-synth feel will keep you focused and on target. As a reimagining of its arcade progenitor, it's hard to say that Techmo could have done better on the Super Nintendo. As it is just generic enough not to be memorable, you might pass it over pretty quickly for something else, especially with so many flashier and more well-developed competitors.

Tweet

Community review by hastypixels (October 12, 2016) Wisdom comes from effort and mistakes.