Developer: Natsume Publisher: Tecmo Release: 12/91 Genre: Action
To this day I am still baffled that Tecmo all but abandoned Ninja Gaiden during the 16-bit era. Aside from the cancelled Sega Genesis game all we would receive is a half-assed collection of the three NES games with few enhancements on the SNES. Can you imagine a 16-bit adventure along the lines of Shinobi III? The mind boggles. Although Ryu would bow out of home consoles for a while he would have one last 8-bit adventure on the Gameboy. Ninja Gaiden Shadow is a good bit sized action adventure that I enjoyed immensely.
Ninja Gaiden Shadow is a deceptive game. The game began life as a port of Shadow of the Ninja. However late in development Tecmo bought the rights from Natsume to remake it as a Ninja Gaiden title. The two titles are so similar most probably will not notice the difference. For those familiar with the NES games the Shadow in the Ninja roots are very apparent. Since there is pretty much no story in the game the only connective tissue is a throwaway line in the game’s intro. I will admit I miss the lavish cutscenes from the NES games; that was a large reason why the series became so famous. Ah well I guess you cannot have everything.
Mechanically Ninja Gaiden Shadow is a hybrid of the two ninja action titles I mentioned previously. Although it combines elements of the two franchises this is a stripped down version of both. Ryu can no longer climb or stick to walls as in his first two adventures. He can grab railings and shimmy hand over hand, an ability from Ninja Gaiden III. To assist in your platforming you have a grappling hook to ascend vertical surfaces. The grappling hook is not called on until the second half of the game at which point it becomes indispensable.
One of the greatest aspects of Ninja Gaiden was the large variety of ninja arts to play around with. Ninja Gaiden Shadow strips it down to its most basic elements. You only have your basic sword and the art of the fire wheel. You no longer have a ninpo meter either; instead you can carry a maximum of five charges of the fire wheel. The game is fairly generous with these charges but the absence of any other weapons is notable. This is a huge blow to the game, there is no sugar coating it. For all of its faults Ninja Gaiden III was the most satisfying of the NES trilogy in terms of mobility and mechanics. To see a later release step back from that so heavily is disappointing, no doubt.
Ninja Gaiden Shadow has a slower pace than its predecessors. This is concession for the Gameboy’s limitations. The level design comes across as though the designers were not sure how far to push the envelope. Early on there are less enemies and the levels are a bit straightforward for most of the game. But as you progress you the elements that made the NES games so frustrating yet enjoyable return such as elaborate platforming segments that make excellent use of your climbing abilities. These offer a glimpse at what the game could have been if it did not go through such a weird development cycle. The fantastic boss battles are further evidence of this. So while I am a little disappointed at the game’s missed potential I still liked it overall.
The legendary difficulty of the series is not prominent in this title which I am sure will delight many. For the most part Ninja Gaiden Shadow is an easy game. This is owed to the Gameboy’s smaller screen. With less screen real estate there is not enough space for the kinds of elaborate platforming segments and deliberate enemy placement that frustrated many. The game ramps up in this regard toward the end. You will rarely see more than two enemies simultaneously. After every tricky sequence the game generously provides life potions. Even though you can only take six hits before death unless you are completely sloppy death is rarely a factor outside of boss battles. I will admit I like the lesser challenge; I suffered enough with the NES games thank you very much.
In Closing
Ninja Gaiden Shadow is a successful hybrid of two distinct action games and a solid title. It is not as good as the two games it blends but is entertaining nonetheless. I would love to have seen a sequel that builds on the foundation established but sadly there is no follow up. You will have to wait for the Gameboy Color for more ninja action.
