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PS2 | Action | Shinobi

Boxart for Shinobi
Shinobi 54 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.50
  • SOUND: 4.50
  • CONTROL: 4.50
  • FUN FACTOR 4.50
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.4
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.7
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Feature: Pro vs. Pro: Shinobi

Feature by The GamePros | 05/02/2003 | 12:00:51 PM PST

Major Mike, Air Hendrix, Pong Sifu and the Four-Eyed Dragon discuss the controversial ninja action thriller known as Shinobi.

There are plenty of games the GamePro editors have a difference of opinion on, but few have stoked the love it/hate it debate as Sega?s update to its ninja franchise, Shinobi. Earlier this year, at E3, the lines were already being drawn and now things are at a fever pitch now that everyone has had some time with it.

Air Hendrix: That Shinobi deserves its standing as an old-school game of high repute can't be questioned. But Sega's disappointing PS2 update was a lost chance to take ninja goodness into the modern era. The gameplay is drool-inducingly repetitive, and the old-school "difficulty" plays more like poor game design than homage. Why not use the vaunted next-gen powers of the PS2 to bring the ninja to life, stalking his prey like the shadowy assassin the ninja stereotype typifies? The possibilities for a fresh experience would almost be limitless. Instead, we got the kind of repetitive beat-em-up that left far too many innocent gamers staring vacantly at the TV after annihilating their controller in frustration.

And most importantly, what kind of ninja has a ten-foot red scarf billowing around behind him. Oh yeah -- must be for all its "stealth" applications! :)

Major Mike: Akin to a young ninja pupil who has yet to fully learn the tools of the trade, you are misguided in your judgments, brother Hendrix. Unlike most games, Shinobi doesn't simply up the difficulty by pitting you against bosses with progressively longer life bars; rather, Shinobi is a game that does a remarkable thing?it actually makes you learn and earn your way through the quest. Shinobi is one of the most rewarding games in a long time, as you get more of a sense of accomplishment by skillfully defeating a boss with a precision-timed single hit than, say, scoring a goal in a hockey game. "Old school 'difficulty'"? "Poor game design?" Ha! Granted, Shinobi is a game for the most persistent and patient of players, as it's a difficult game, but alas, not an impossible one.

As for molding the game to fit today's "trend" of stealth, does today's gamer really need more of this quickly-becoming-stale "stealth" concept where you spend several minutes sneaking up on your prey, only to have all your hard work dashed in a single moment? Shinobi has never been about that?It's always focused on action, and that's what the latest PS2 incarnation of the game offers. Konami learned a horrible lesson when they made Contra 3D for two pathetic PlayStation games, and only recently did they return to what actually worked with the series in Shattered Soldier. No, we've seen enough franchises trashed because trendy or "cool" concepts were forced upon them.

Pong Sifu: Plus, why have heavy stealth elements in the game when Tenchu has got that area covered already? Shinobi isn't designed to be a ninja-sim but a nonstop adrenaline rush. As for repetitive, I have to disagree, which is saying a lot since I am notoriously averse to repetition in games. You're constantly discovering new abilities, new ways to fight enemies, and each boss requires a completely unique strategy, which, when combined, constitute an excellent reward system. This is where the old-school influence really shines through, as battles are not just ones of attrition, but of figuring out your enemy's weakness and coming up with new ways to exploit it.

As far as the difficulty curve goes, I found the fact that you have to develop honest to god skills very refreshing amidst most games in which you feel like you're just going through the motions. fairy.

Four-Eyed Dragon: What's an adventure game without having to develop new fighting abilities and skills for the hero? What's an adventure game without unique bosses, each with their own weakness? Yes, Shinobi has these?and it SHOULD have these features to be at least considered an action/adventure game. The question, then, is: Does Shinobi's gameplay creatively use these features throughout the entire game? The answer is simply no. Playing in Shinobi's world is like exploring an uneventful dungeon?defeat enemies here to open a passageway there; waves of scary creatures magically appear only at a certain spot; and as predicted, there's a final boss waiting for you in every level.

Sounds like an ordinary hack n' slash game to me without any unique and revolutionary features to warrant a good grade. The only thing this game has going for it is its name. Truly, the name "Shinobi" is synonymous with classic gaming from an era of straightforward hacking and slashing, but that's certainly not enough to make today's Shinobi a 5.0. Take away the name and all you have is a mundane sword wielding ninja whose only standout feature is his red scarf.

At this point the debate stopped and the swords and shurikens took over the talks. Shinobi is out now in stores and if you?ve had a chance to play it, chime in with your thoughts on the game in the GamePro forums.