https://asia.sega.com/shinobi-art-of-vengeance/en
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2361 ... _Vengeance
SEGA wrote:The iconic SHINOBI returns in an all-new 2D action platformer with a unique hand-drawn look created by the team behind the hit brawler Streets of Rage 4.
Announce Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge__8Da ... XVyolQO3wj
Combat Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahKG2_5 ... XVyolQO3wj
Launch Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGLvm8h ... XVyolQO3wj
Don't know why the thumbnail for the last trailer doesn't work.
So, this game. Came out a couple of weeks ago. First of all let me say that, as far as I can tell, it WASN'T made by the Streets of Rage 4 team, despite the advertising. The main force behind that masterpiece was Guard Crush and Lizardcube merely helped, with what I don't know. But this Shinobi is entirely made by Lizardcube and Guard Crush didn't touch it.
Remember that fantastic SoR4 dev video I posted way back when? [ > ] The guy narrating was Jordi Asensio of Guard Crush. He seems to have been the brain because he says all the right things. Lizardcube isn't even mentioned iirc. So call me sceptical when the advertising is lying about this.
And I can see the difference in the trailers. SoR4 looks like a Japanese game. This Shinobi certainly doesn't. The character and enemy designs just aren't good enough. They aren't bad mind you. But they don't quite get there. The backgrounds and effects are nice too, and for brief moments while everything flashes by you could mistake it for a Japanese game. But when it slows down and you can take your time looking at stuff, you know it's not up to scratch.
Other issues abound. There just aren't enough enemies on screen, and shuriken are rarely used despite being a huge part of the old games. But I guess when you're only served one enemy at a time you don't need them :(
And don't get me started on the metroidvania aspect. Apparently that's what this game is, though you couldn't tell from the trailers. It could still be a good metroidvania, I suppose, but that's not what Shinobi is. Shinobi is action. Of course a franchise is entitled to try different genres. But when you have such a traditionally action-focused franchise and you decide to move it to exploration and platforming, the fans are entitled to be disappointed, unless you knock the new genre out of the park, which I doubt is what happened here.
For the record, these are my series ratings (the two Shadow Dancers are different games):
*** Shinobi (1987)
*** Shadow Dancer (1989)
***** The Super Shinobi (1989)
**** Shadow Dancer (1990)
**** The Super Shinobi II (1993)
The Super Shinobi was the defining action game of the 16-bit era. It's Insomnia's 1989 Game of the Year.
There was also a Saturn game and two 3D PS2 ones, but I never played them. The Saturn one looked iffy to me on release but the PS2 ones looked cool. Also some handheld games I know nothing about.
My guess for this entry is 3/5 at best, but don't take my word for it until I've tried it.
