Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku

While the graveyard of games attempting to make the jump from 2D TV to 3D game is crowded, Jack makes the cut but proves that greatness is indeed elusive.

Samurai Jack rules the Cartoon Network?s action lineup with its great tale about a noble samurai who has been thrust by the demon Aku into the future. In this wondrous fantasy land, Jack wields his magic sword in a titanic struggle against Aku?s robot armies. However, Jack?s humor and heart make as much of an impression as the swordplay as he searches for a time portal to return to the past to destroy Aku.

?The Future That Is Aku?
Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku lovingly recreates the show?s singular artistic style. In the game?s 24 levels, the dark future appears at once ominous, bizarre, and eye-catching. Jack?s animated fighting moves are spectacular, and fans will appreciate cameo combat with familiar characters like the Scotsman and Mad Jack. The sounds get a major-league boost from the TV cast with music that excellently reproduces the cartoon?s energetic, Asian flavor. The controls are also tight overall. Jack unleashes a flurry of sword swipes in 24 singular moves, including multibutton-press combos, and he makes sure-footed leaps past platform-style obstacles.

However, Jack?s Achilles heel is the fact that the game?s strategy seems tuned for younger, less experienced action gamers as a sort of Shinobi-lite. The game features hordes of enemy sword fodder and reoccurring midlevel meanies that require one-time decrypting of their repetitive attacks. Plus, sword power-ups, shurikens, a bow and arrow, a magical slow-mo attack, and generous stockpiles of power-ups, ammo, and armor seriously diminish the challenge. It?s all nicely crafted entertainment well and good for newbies, but seasoned samurai will too confidently prevail. Experienced Jack fans will long for what could have been.

A Cause That Is Righteous and Just
The Shadow of Aku is a tough game to rate for Samurai Jack aficionados. It?s a mere?er, shadow of the cartoon, but it?s also a lively workout. At least regular viewers can fill in the gaps in the story line. While this is far from Onimusha, Shinobi, or Ninja Gaiden, initiates fresh to the genre should find it a worthy first challenge. Bottom line: Shadow of Aku is a good-but-not-great action workout, even if you don?t know Jack

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