Ignore my embarrassing first two reviews.
Here's the list of reviews I've done that I'm actually proud of:
#1-Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest(SNES)Can't believe there's no thread for this already.
Welcome one and all to my unquestionable and utterly flawless game reviews. I'll be reviewing only the finest that the gaming world has to offer, or whatever I happen to be playing at the time.
Just kidding on both parts. I'll review whatever I feel like, even some that I know suck. And feel free to oppose my opinion if you feel I misjudged something, but for goodness' sake, that does not mean give me a load of grief about it. You could even add your own reviews of other games if you wanted.
I'll be judging based on several factors:
Plot: Every game has one. Well, almost every game. I'll analyze the game's story, without too many spoilers, and discuss how it helps or hurts the game in general.
Controls: A game's no fun if it's hard to play it at all, right? Basically, is it easy to pick up and figure out what button does what, or does it take some time and effort to realize how to fight, jump, or even walk? Usually won't be many bad marks in this category.
Gameplay: Probably the most extensive area. I'll cover everything from visuals to music to the way the game's tone. I decided not to separate this one out more because I just won't have much to talk about in some smaller sections. This will also be the most harshly judged area.
Overall Appeal: Things like lastability and enjoyability are taken into account this section. Is it really worth your cheddar to go out and get this game? If it is, how long can you as an average human being keep playing before it starts to grow old? Are there extra missions or side quests to do alongside the main quest? If so, do they compliment the main game or wreck the central theme?
After going through those four points, I'll give a grade out of 10 stars.
Also, I promise not to judge games for stupid reasons like "It's really hard" or "I love it because I grew up with it".
So! Without any further ado, my first review will be....
Aww yeah. NINJAS! This game was made for NES back in 1988, and set the premise for a lot of sequels. But aside from the fact that the game is about FREAKING NINJAS, how does it hold up?
Plot: Before I get this part started off, remember that this was back in the NES era, when video games were just starting to get way popular and wicked memorable. And game developers hadn't quite grasped the concept of what an engaging plot was. Some did better than others. And some NES games have better plots that some modern games.
Anyway, you play as Ryu Hayabusa, a ninja who travels to America to solve the mystery of his father's death. After battling his way through what I can only assume is New York, Ryu encounters a just a girl I MEAN a mysterious woman. She suddenly turns a gun on him and....shoots him? It's not really clear what she does because the next scene shows Ryu in a cell, where the woman visits him. After deciding not to introduce herself, she asks our protagonist to do her a favor, then promptly hands him a weird statue, then leaves. Wait what? You just shot our hero(or something), and then ask him for a favor without telling him what it is? Good thing this game isn't open world or I'd be hopelessly confused.
Turns out the statue is one of two that holds the power of an ancient demon, you have to keep him from being resurrected, blah blah blah, evil organization trying to destroy the world, etc.
The plot is pretty cookie cutter and unoriginal, but hey, like I said, this was in the NES days. They didn't have time to come up with this unique plot crap.
Controls: Grade A. It's as simple as A to jump and B to swing your sword, and your running speed and jump arcs are clean and easy to control and get a quick feel for. You'll never feel like you're not going to make a jump over a pit, ever. Unless an enemy hits you into it. The player also quickly discovers the Ryu has the ability to stick to walls and perform wall jumps, as the action happens immediately and without required input. The one tricky part may be figuring out how to use your alt weapon(Up+B), but the game is still playable without using it, and if you've played another game that this one bears an UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE to, you'll figure it out in no time.
Gameplay: OK, so when I first played this game, from the moment I started the first level, I noticed it was STRIKINGLY SIMILAR to another one of my favorite NES games. Now which one was it again?
Hmm.....
A timer? Player and enemy health bar? Alt weapons? Strikeable background features that produce said alt weapons and ammo for them?
GEE, WHICH ONE WAS IT?
Oh, that's right! Castlevania! This game incorporates a LOT of the same elements as everyone's favorite vampire slayer game. Not that I'm suggesting anything by pointing that out....
Good thing Ninja Gaiden isn't played ANYTHING like Castlevania. In fact, these two games may as well be near polar opposites. Let's take a look, shall we?
Castlevania:
-Player moves slowly
-Whip is delayed, meaning no mindless plowing through enemies
-Obstacles require the player to stop and assess the situation before carefully finding a way to progress
-Level designs are mostly straightforward, and don't usually require vast amounts of jumping or upward scaling
Ninja Gaiden:
-Player moves very quickly
-Ryu's sword strikes instantly, encouraging the player to defeat enemies quickly and move right along
-Few obtacles that require more than a glance before overcoming them
-Many vertical segments, making a lot of use of Ryu's wall jumping abilities
NG is very focused on being fast paced, and testing the player's ability to think on the run and respond in a heartbeat, completely unlike Castlevania's style. This drives the theme of being a ninja by creating a scenario in which a real ninja might respond similarly.
Another thing that really stuck out to me was the genius enemy placement. Almost every enemy in the game is strategically placed so that if you don't react quickly, they will wreck you. The most common example of this is the dagger throwing enemy. More often than not they are placed on a higher platform, where it's possible with proper timing to kill them and land on the platform before they can hit you and knock you back into a pit(knockback, huh? You mean like what Castlevania had?). They even hesitate before attacking to give you ample opportunity.
By far the best example of the worst enemy placement for the player is THESE FLYING JACKASSES
If they aren't placed conveniently by pits, they're in the middle of swarms of enemies, flying at you while you're distracted by everything else. And they do BUTTLOADS of damage.
On another note, this game had some pretty good backgrounds. Each level had a fresh a different setting, with a desirable amount of detail.
However, musically, the score was somewhat forgettable and lacking in originality.
Overall Appeal: This. Game. Is. Hard. Classic NES Difficulty, making the game have plenty of lastability and memorableness(that's a word, right?). You're sure to be gnashing your teeth and crying tears of rage when you die OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN after the first couple levels. And yet, despite the insane desire it induces to throw your controller out the third story window of your apartment, it has a certain charm that makes it incredibly enjoyable and satisfying. It drives you crazy, but you want to keep playing.
Overall, a great game and I would highly recommend it as an NES title that everyone should play at least once.
9 stars out of 10.
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