Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx-16)
July 25, 2007 by Tim · Leave a Comment
As your footsteps fall silently upon the floorboards of the ruined temple at which you were born and raised, you barely have time to contemplate the untimely and unjust death of your father and the vengeance which you have sworn to obtain. With swiftness and deftness that can only come with a lifetime of training, you dispatch foe after foe with ease. But they are relentless. Bombs, knives, and swords fly at you as your enemies swarm about, seemingly appearing from thin air. Where are they coming from? Why do they want you dead? Why did they kill your father? There’s no time to ask questions. There’s no time to think, only to react.
Your sword slices through your attackers and shields you from their bombs and knives, but it is becoming more and more difficult to handle each wave of aggression on your own. You defeat an unusual ninja in bright orange, and as if on cue, an apparition appears. But this apparition does not attack. Instead, you discover that it mimics your every move. You gracefully jump hundreds of feet into the air and drift softly to the ground. It follows you every inch of the way, without a hint of effort. You look closer, and on the face of this apparition, you see yourself. You see your anger, your hatred, your determination. This apparition is your spirit. It is invulnerable and has every drop of strength and skill that you have. It will protect you.
With the power of two men, you are more deadly than ever. Your sword is more powerful than you could imagine. Your knives fill the air, subduing wave after wave of attackers. But still, their numbers grow, their power increases, and so does your frustration and anger. Your ears are filled with the rattle of your sickle and chain, the explosion of your bombs, and the whoosh of your sword and knives. So consumed, you don’t even realize when you are joined by a second apparition.
Now in the forest, dancing from limb to limb, fighting to stay alive, the trinity has become unstoppable. Bombs, swords, knives; none of them are a match for your inhuman power. You float effortlessly from treetop to treetop, through swamps, and over valleys. You defeat the most dangerous ninjas the world has to offer. You are Moonlight and you will not stop until the man that killed your father is dead.
Final Thoughts: Ninja Spirit is what every ninja game should aspire to be. Enemies swarm you from all directions and the action is non-stop. But with smooth, graceful controls and the precision with which you can jump through the environment, you’ll feel almost as if you’re flying; you’ll feel at ease. I had never heard of Ninja Spirit before playing it. It is one of the best gaming surprises I have ever experienced.
YouTube Pick: (via ChangeV) (Spoiler alert: Shows complete gameplay.)
Loading ...