Shinobi

" Raised together within the Oboro Clan, Hotsuma and Moritsune were seldom apart during their youth. Being the younger of the two, Hotsuma looked up to Moritsune, and considered his older brother to be a superior warrior.Eventually, the Oboro Clan commandment was revealed to the two boys after they discovered Akujiki, the sword that would be used in the ritual to decide the clan's leader. The commandment deems that the next clan leader must be determined by a duel to the death between the eldest clan heirs -- in this case, Moritsune and Hotsuma. Aware of their destiny, the brothers trained incessantly, instructed by their foster parent, Kobushi.

10 years passed as the brothers refined their techniques and honed their senses. The duel occurred beneath a full moon, and after a long exhausting fight, Hotsuma finally slew his brother. Not long after, a massive earthquake struck Tokyo, and a mysterious Golden Palace appeared in the center of the city. With the appearance of the palace came the arrival of the powerful sorcerer Hiruko, who summoned hellspawn to wreak havoc upon the city, and all but destroyed the Oboro clan. The city's residents became paralyzed with fear. With the Oboro Clan ravaged and Tokyo on the verge of collapse, Hotsuma placed himself at the heart of the chaos, determined to reach the mysterious Golden Palace and avenge the death of his clan. " - Wikipedia article on Shinobi

Poor sod...

The game is tough to say the least due to most part to the difficult camera angles and the lack of checkpoints in the levels. The soundtrack is repetitive and easily forgotten so there's not much there. The game is very graphical in its killing scenes which is cool at first but just takes up time as the game progresses. The art is just ok I think, nothing to special and some of the bosses and monsters just look out of place. The plot is almost non-existent although developed some what through in-between-levels cut scenes.

Hotsuma killing some shinobi dogs

Nevertheless, I found the game really enjoyable cause of its sheer difficulty; not many games these days actually challenge a player. This is definitely not one for amateur gamers. A good challenge as a 3D platformer though lacking in all other departments.

Score: 6 / 10