"Some stone age mayhem courtesy of Joe & Mac."

A group of caveman has kidnapped all the babes in their village so it's now up to Caveman Ninja due, Joe and Mac, to mount a rescue. It's not going to be easy though as not only do you have the other tribes to deal with but each stage is also filled with roaming dinosaurs and all the babes are guarded by a fierce (not to mention huge) boss. Joe and Mac will have to traverse five fun filled levels in their quest to bring the babes back to where they belong.

The first thing you'll notice about Caveman Ninja is the brightly colored and detailed graphics. Data East has really outdone themselves in the art department. The character designs are brilliant and just watching the game is a treat. The animation is of a very high standard and there are tons of small details all over the place. Levels are varied and take place in cool locations like a dinosaur graveyard, volcano, forest and you can even take to the air or water with the help of a friendly dino on some stages. The five levels on offer isn't that long but every so often you get to choose which path you want to take so it adds some replay value to the game. You'll probably want to play the game through a few times anyway since after defeating the final boss you get to choose a path which determines which of the three endings you get.

Joe and Mac aren't called Caveman Ninja for no reason as they know how to kick ass and have a variety of weapons at their disposal to do so. Starting out with puny stone axes they can also jump on foes heads to kill them. Hidden inside eggs you'll also find new weapons like boomerangs, fire, electricity, stone wheels and even doubles of yourself. Each attack can be charged up by holding in your attack button. This will cause your character to spin his arm wildly until you release it for a huge attack. Hold it in too long though and you'll tire the poor caveman and he'll be stunned for a while. Fighting the whole time is tiring though and Joe and Mac require all the energy they can find. Picking up the fruits that get left behind when you kill foes is vital since it refills your energy bar which is constantly decreasing and also serves as health. These two is definitely the first ninja's that can die in the middle of a fight from starvation.

Audio is very nice the tunes all have that tribal jungle drum theme going. Sound effects are also nice and cartoony and never harsh on the ears. Controls are responsive whether you are jumping between the fore and background, hanging from a pterodactyl or riding on top of a water dino. The game is quite challenging though and having a friend along for the ride is highly recommended. If dying while playing alone you'll have to restart from a certain point which can make the boss fights especially challenging. Besides if your friend is stealing all the power-ups you can always pick him up and throw him as a weapon.

Overall I had a blast playing Caveman Ninja and can heartily recommend it to all fans of the genre. Hopefully this isn't the last we'll see of this wacky duo.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/05