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I-Ninja
by Jolex Del Pilar
Thursday, January 29 2004
Action platforming treads over familiar ground with Namco's I-Ninja.
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Title:
I-Ninja
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Platform:
Xbox
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Publisher:
Namco |
Developer:
Argonaut Games |
#
of Players: 1 |
Genre:
Action/Platformer
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Origin:
United States
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Expected
Release:
November 2003 |
Grapevine:
I-Ninja is a game that does many platforming elements really well, but doesn't exactly invent any new paradigms when it comes to the genre itself. |
I-Ninja is a game that falls into a category of gaming that is decorated with many beloved titles including Donkey Kong 64, Jax II, and even Mario Sunshine.
I-Ninja's protagonist isn't a furry animal, or a plumber, but a Ninja who seems to be on permanent rage mode. The game is set on a small, earth-like planet somewhere in the realms of legend that is cohabitated by diverse inhabitants including Ninja (the game's hero), and Ninja’s Master whom he calls only “Sensei.” The World’s islands have been invaded by Master O-Dor’s evil army of robotic Ranx and all of the cohabitants have been imprisoned except for Ninja. Sensei must rely on his highly arrogant, yet consummate warrior-student to recover the four lost Rage Stones - relics of an ancient, evil power that corrupts anyone who possesses them.
The quest will take Ninja to numerous islands all over the planet. The game features boss battles, some of which will test Ninja's sword skills, and some of which will test his robot piloting skills (more on that later).
If you've played Jax II, I-Ninja features very similar gameplay, though in this reviewer's opinion, I-Ninja's protagonist features a few more abilities. Ninja can literally run on walls, "shred" on rails, hover for short distances using his sword like a helicopter blade, throw shurikens, blow darts, and of course swing a mean sword.
In many ways, I-Ninja's gameplay resembles a cross between Sonic Adventures, and Mario Sunshine. It features fast paced, level "runs" that were present in Sonic Adventures, but also features a strong platforming element like Mario Sunshine. Though it doesn't do either element as strongly as the previously mentioned games, I-Ninja is varied enough to keep most players interested, at least for a while. After you finish a mission in I-Ninja the summary screen will count how many coins and other items you collected during the mission. A rewards system, based on what you collected, will allow Ninja to gain different-colored ‘belts’ which earn him a more impressive arsenal of weapons and abilities.
One of the interesting gameplay diversions that I-Ninja provides is the ability to pilot a giant 150 foot robot. The robot, who is apparently a guardian of the world, is utilized in many of the boss battles. Some of them will see Ninja duking it out with other giant robots, and making use of diverse weaponry such as laser beam eyes, and rocket guns. It's a nice diversion from the general gameplay. That brings up another point, I-Ninja is one of the most varied games, in terms of gameplay, that we've seen in a long time. Whether you're defending islands manning a gun turret, duking it out with giant robots, or even just going around and cutting up evil robot men, I-Ninja attempts to span it all.
This is the view from the cockpit of your very cool 150 foot robot guardian.
The graphical style of I-Ninja is a very blocky, simple style that features a solid coloring scheme. It seems that the developers were going for a subtle, cartoony style, and it fits overall with the way the game is designed and the attitudes of the main characters. In fact, the whole audio/video experience of I-Ninja comes off like a well made cartoon, even without the whole cel-shading fad (okay so it's not a fad, but it is definitely overused).
I-Ninja is a game that does many platforming elements really well, but doesn't exactly invent any new paradigms when it comes to the genre itself. People who will greatly enjoy this game will come from the Mario 64/Sunshine fold. I-Ninja's faster paced action, and varied gameplay are a welcome sight however. In the end, I-Ninja is simply competent in what it attempts to do.
--- Jolex Del Pilar
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