Goemon's Great Adventure

"The difference between this and Mystical Ninja? 3D into 2D."

I came upon this title with mixed feelings. I really like the original title for the N64, Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon, and I wondered if this title, with it's 2 1/2 D as opposed to 3D setup, would have the same whoomp power. I was only the tiniest bit disappointed with the setup.

So, once again, Goemon, the spiky, blue-haired ninja, his rotund pal Ebisumaru, the foxy green-haired secret agent Yae, and the robotic ninja Sasuke are off on an adventure to save good ol' medieval Japan again.

Graphics: 8

Almost an exact duplicate of Mystical Ninja graphics. Everyone looks the same. Some people even act the same. Fortunately, for this game, the 2D setup allowed for more funky graphics in some areas than you couldn't have in the 3D version due to simple memory issues. The result is very detailed backgrounds in the areas.

Music and Sound: 7

Some very similar to Mystical Ninja music and sounds. This is a good thing, because, as the whole theme of this game is light and bouncy, so too follows the music. Good placement of the music. Not a spectacular score, but it fits well.

Plot: 5

But, this game isn't about a serious plot...

This game is supposed to have kid's comedy written all over it, and it succeeds in that area well enough. The plot doesn't seem to make sense at times and there are plenty of places where just plain odd things happen, and Goemon fans probably wouldn't have it any other way.

Gameplay: 8

The 2D was a welcome change here. Now, the Goemon series can be the action it was always intended to be.

The game consists of wandering around lands, each with action levels, a town, and a place where you need enough passes to access the boss of that level.

The items and weapons should be very similar to Mystical Ninja fans. The only thing that has really changed is that the Life Bar has been toned down. Three hits is all you get, unless you take energy restoring rice balls or armor along with you.

The only beef I have here is that, for maximum mobility, there's really no one else to use but Goemon, since he has a double jump that no one else does.

Oh, and of course, after you take on the boss on foot, you get the added pleasure of thrashing him in the giant robot Impact, and you also get the aid of his new friend, Miss Impact. Those sequences are very nice.

Replay Value: 6

Unfortunately, like the original Goemon, parts of the game can become repetitive, drawn out, or just plain a chore. The levels can seem really long at times, especially the last action level of each world.

Overall: 8

Goemon fans will have fun with this one. Heck, I had fun with this one, and I'm not a Goemon fan, really...

I figure this game would be good enough for another rent. I don't think I'll be buying it, though...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/00, Updated 07/18/00