Along with a plethora of remakes that struck consoles in 2003, Sega’s cult classic Shinobi made a comeback on the Playstation 2. The game retained all of the elements that made the series memorable, but also came jam-packed with its fair-share of problems. The lack of save points, bland colourless missions and an all-too-frustrating difficulty level, put the series in a compromising position. Fast forward two years later and you have Sega’s latest attempt at re-inventing the series, called Nightshade. Introducing a new female lead and all new gameplay mechanics, Nightshade prides itself in testing the skills and patience of players who seek a challenge. Controllers will be broken, and thumbs will be bruised by the time you finish the main game. It all comes down to whether or not you can swallow Nighshade’s lackluster visuals, plain levels and generally disappointing been-there-done-that gameplay.
This time around, a Japanese ninja (a “Kunoichi” if you will) named Hibana, has been hired by the government to investigate recent disturbances that are strikingly similar to those found in Shinobi. It appears as though the rift between the human and demon world has been breached once again. The uninspiring tale has Hibana battling through dozens of levels in search of pieces of the Akujiki sword (Hotsuma’s sword in Shinobi). Along the way, the femme-fatale will find herself facing off against ruthless demons, evil ninjas, and even her former master. The story was clearly meant as a means to progress the action, rather than a way to keep players at the edge of their seat. After all, who plays a Shinobi game for its story?
Fans of the PS2 Shinobi will feel right at home during Nightshade. The two titles are almost identical to each other. Aside from the ability to kick, and a few magic attacks, Hibana carries over all the same moves that Hotsuma acquired, including everyone’s favourite dash. Where as the first game focused on ground-based combat, Nightshade’s combat revolves around the ability to string together combinations in the air. In conjuction with the lock-on system, the jump, dash and attack moves are cleverly strung together to create a series of combos. In theory, as long as an enemy is on screen, and within reach, Hibana can continue her aerial attack. The kick attack isn’t all that useful, but the magic system proves to be essential in mastering some of the tougher levels. Hibana can call upon wind, fire and lightening attacks to aid her during some of the game’s tougher battles. By pressing the L2 button, players can unleash a flurry of pain on any unsuspecting enemies.
At the heart of Nightshade, lies the TATE system. Players are rewarded with points by continuously defeating enemies before the TATE meter runs out. After the meter has been depleted, players are further rewarded with a gruesome cutscene of what happens when you mess with a badass female ninja. Most of the levels are designed around this TATE system, allowing Hibana to effortlessly dash from one enemy to another to keep the combination alive. The TATE system works well, but don’t expect your fingers to come out unscathed. Quick reflexes play an important role in stringing together multiple combos. Your hand will take quite the beating, and it doesn’t get any better.
What’s even more frustrating is the one life system. Hibana is given one life per level, which means you’ll spend the majority of your time with Nightshade, restarting levels. Nightshade brings out the cursing in everyone. Not only will you curse, but as the game progresses, you’ll get exceedingly violent towards your controller. Bosses are especially tough, often requiring the player to dash in for a quick hit, then dash out for an even quicker retreat.
Supposedly Sega has included a camera system that flawlessly follows the action. However, this is far from the case. The camera swings around Hibana as she swerves left and right through enemy traffic. The effect is disorientating, and can lead to unneccessary deaths, especially while performing a combo over a bottomless pit. That leads me to another gripe, the cutscene that ensues after the TATE meter has been depleted. There have been plenty of times where I continued a combo over a pit only to be greeted by the TATE’s cutscene. As soon as the scene ended, I found myself in mid-air over the chasm as Hibana plummeted to her death. Maybe I have slow reflexes, I don’t know, but in a game where death could mean restarting a large portion of the level, a flaw like this cannot be overlooked.
The levels Hibana ventures through are just as bland, if not more, than those in Shinobi. Granted Sega has included some interesting environments, ranging from the top of a sky scraper to the roof of a fighter plane, but it just isn’t enough to warrant any enthusiasm. Yet another similarity to Shinobi is the magical walls that block Hibana’s progress. Once Hibana has defeated a set number of enemies, the magic wall disappears, only to reveal another one moments later. This system got old fast in Shinobi, so why was it brought back, other than to further annoy us as we continue the same level over and over again?
The graphics are identical to Shinobi in every aspect. The character models are beautifully rendered, and Hibana’s costume is mesmorizing. Overall she is one of the best looking characters to date. The game’s enemies, which are boring at the beginning of the game, take a turn for the better during the later levels. This is especially true for the human characters that Hibana must confront during her adventure. They’re just as gorgeous as Hibana, unlike the game’s demons who look like nothing more than mutated insects.
To keep the game blazing at 60 frames per second, the texture work on the levels has been significantly decreased. The dull textures are limited in their design and leave much to be desired. Any other effects such as explosions and reflections have been kept to a bare minimum. Nothing is jaw-dropping and nothing has been improved on over Shinobi. It’s as if Sega was too lethargic to address the complaints from the first game, and rushed this title onto store shelves.
None of the synthesized songs leave a lasting impression when all is said and done. Just like everything else in Nightshade, the music is eerily similar to the up beat techno tunes from the original. Even more unnerving is Hibana’s voice. While she is certainly a beautiful character, Hibana’s voice-over is dreadfully hard to listen to. Her one-liners and dull comments could be best compared to the sound of finger nails scraping against a blackboard. It doesn’t help that the script is equally unimpressive. Did Sega devote any time into this sequel?
In the end, if you have a fetish for ninja games that are ridiculously frustrating, uninspiring, poorly written, and horribly designed, then it is your duty to pick up Nightshade. The game feels like nothing more than a minor upgraded version of Shinobi. Sega had almost two years to enhance this title into a true sequel, why didn’t they? Despite its flaws, Nightshade’s TATE system provides some of the best action the series has ever seen. Combined with some very swift reflexes, pulling off 20-30 hit combos becomes second nature. The character designs are most notable and having the game clock in at 60 frames per second doesn’t hurt either. Yet it isn’t enough for me to recommend a purchase. Rent this one first, or better yet, buy Shinobi for £30, it’s practically the same game. JS
