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"Quirky, Beautiful and Fun!!"

Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a sidescrolling beat-em-up for the SNES and is, in my humble opinions, one of the most criminally overlooked games EVER. My experience with the SNES, while by no means complete, is certainly expansive and I consider this to be my favourite SNES game not made by Nintendo. Konami really created a gem here and it is a sin for any SNES owner to pass this game by.

The game stars a pair of “ninja” named Kid Ying and Dr. Yang (Goemon and Ebisumaru for the traditionalists out there) who are about as far removed from your standard definition of the word “ninja” as you can get. But let's not get hung up on details, shall we? You start the game in peaceful Edo village and are tasked with tracking down the local ghost woman and teaching her some manners. The story spirals on from here and is actually pretty good for a beat-em-up, but I won't go into too much detail on that to avoid spoiling the game for you. Suffice to say, this seemingly simple task starts you on a quest that takes you all over medieval Japan.

From the title screen to the end credits, this game is overwhelmingly Japanese. I don't mean that in a bad way, but everything from the sounds to the dialogue to the art style is done in a very stylistic, Japanese fashion, as befits a game set in Japan, I suppose... This game was the first in the series that Konami tried to port to western shores. It didn't really sell all that well in North America, but still managed to get a loyal cult following. In Japan, on the other hand, the series a huge success and has a large number of games to its name. I'm rather disappointed by this turn of events, as I really would have liked to have seen some more Goemon games translated and brought to Western shores, but c'est la vie...

Anyways, enough with the preamble, on to the good stuff.

Gameplay: 10/10

The meat and potatoes of any game, Legend of the Mystical Ninja does not fail to deliver in any category. The game is sort of a hybrid of beat-em-up and RPG gameplay elements with some other random categories thrown in just for fun. Each level has two parts to it: An 2.5D overworld-style stage that has houses, shops and some fairly tame enemies that can be killed for money and other upgrades and a sidescrolling “Warlock Zone” stage that is home to most of the game's action and all of the game's bosses.

In the overworld stages, you can move up, down, left, right and jump (hence 2.5D) and these stages are generally meant to prepare you for what comes later in the level. As I said earlier, this game has a smattering of RPG elements in addition to its beat-em-up gameplay. One of those is the ability to upgrade most aspects of your character by purchasing upgrades. Sandals can be bought that will increase your running speed and jumping height/distance, armour and helmets are available that protect you from a certain number of hits and food items can be purchased that either replenish your health immediately or revive you when you kick the bucket and restore some of your health. Money is acquired by killing the seemingly innocent townspeople wandering about the place (don't worry, they're all secretly nihilistic killers out to get you... just touch one of them and you'll see what I mean). Fallen foes will either yield money, scrolls used for magic purchased later in the game or a small, grey kitten that will upgrade your weapon. Given that you're armed only with a humble pipe (for Kid Ying) or wooden flute (for Dr. Yang), a little improvement in that area is much appreciated. You can also use throwing coins (Ying) or shuriken (Yang) as well as bombs (both characters), but all of the above cost money and really aren't worth the price tag. I suppose I should mention, while I'm on the subject, that both characters play identically. The difference between them is entirely cosmetic.

In addition, these overworlds are home to a staggering number of minigames. Some earn you money, some cost you money, but almost all of them are a great way to kill time. If you only play the game without touching the minigames, you're only getting half the experience. Just to give you an idea of what's available, the games found in these shops range from pong to whack-a-mole to breakout to horse racing to memory to quiz games. You can even play the first level of Gradius at some stations!

After you've kitted yourself out with as much gear as you choose to buy and satisfied your craving for minigames, you can head out past the Racoon-Dog-Bear thing (don't ask...) and into the Warlock Zone. This is where the game reverts to a straight-out beat-em-up. You have to get to the end of the level and beat the boss and that's about the sum of it. The levels are nicely varied in setting and mechanics, so no two levels feel too similar.

The difficulty of the game is fairly tame, but it starts increasing towards the end of the game. This is still not a game that will provide more than a mild challenge to the seasoned gamer, but it is entertaining nonetheless.

Towards the end of the game it is possible to learn “Jitsu” (the game's form of magic) for an exorbant fee (that must be repaid every level). Each spell cast costs 10 scrolls (picked up from enemies, as mentioned earlier), but even though the feature is nice to have, it's really not worth the trouble.

The bosses, like most of the game, are fairly creative. They range from a ghost to a dragon to an airship full of mechanical ninjas to a lantern-catman-thing, each with a different way of taking them down. Indeed, none of the bosses are handled like a “standard, run of the mill” boss and you'll never know what to expect from one until you've actually faced it in combat.

Overall the gameplay is superb, particularly the mini-games. Best of all, this game offers a two player co-op mode. Even better still, if you happen to be paired with someone who *hrhm* isn't that good at the game, you can elect to tackle the Warlock Zone alone and they will remain at the entrance.

All in all, the game plays like a dream. You can take as little or as much time as you want and still have a great gaming experience at the end of the day. The only slow parts come in some of the later levels where you are required to buy some very expensive items and, therefore, must farm enemies until you have the necessary cash to proceed. The gameplay is truly fantastic, however, and is the primary reason the game should not be overlooked.

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics are done in an anime style that fits well with the Japanese theme of the game. The character sprites are large and well-detailed and the enemies are varied and no two look too much alike. The backgrounds for each stage are varied and you will move from a quiet seaside village to a festival to a massive castle, each with its own feel and look to it. The detailing, though not unsurpassed on the 16-bit consoles, is still impressive. Overall, a very “pretty” game.

Sound: 10/10

The game has a very stylistic soundtrack, with a very traditional Japanese tone to it. The SNES does an impressive imitation of taiko drums, Japanese flutes and stringed instruments, all of which are masterfully arranged in a simply stunning soundtrack. The game successfully uses both traditional Japanese musical styles and newer, more upbeat styles complimented by the more “traditional” instrument choice to create a very unique sound that is one of the defining features of the game.

From the rustic yet regal tones of Edo village to the peaceful melody of the mountain village to the happy-go-lucky carnival tunes to the frantic and frenetic boss music, Legend of the Mystical Ninja captures the mood of its various scenes perfectly.

The sound effects are nothing to write home about, but aren't invasive in any way. Standard SNES fare, really...

Controls: 9/10

The controls are mostly crisp and responsive and there's nothing overly tricky about them. The only thing that can occasionally get aggravating is some very tricky jumps that are thrown in at the end of the game. Not tricky in any technical sense, mind you, but tricky because on the other side of the jump is an enemy ready to knock you into a bottomless pit the second you complete your jump.

Story: 7/10

As I said earlier, your quest to teach the ghost woman of Horo Temple a lesson rapidly spirals into an adventure across Japan (funny how that always seems to be the way these games work...). Really, there's nothing too fancy here. The story is told mainly through small cutscenes played in between each level. It's pretty barebones, but it serves its purpose well enough. Though certainly not the greatest story of the day, it's far from bad. In a sense, the subdued storyline actually adds to the game as it largely leaves some of the loose ends up to you to fill in.

Overall: 10/10

I do not give out 10 ratings very easily. Nine is my usual cap and it takes a very, very, very special game to break that mould. But I can still say even now, over a decade after I purchased it, that Legend of the Mystical Ninja deserves this rating. If you have an SNES or a Wii online, pick this game up ASAP! It's that good.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/12/07

Game Release: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (US, February 1992)