Mystical Ninja starring Goemon

"Dash Dash Dash to get this game!"

Mystical Ninja.Just the name brings some very odd,though fond,memories of days long past with this game.While everyone was obsessed with Zelda 64,me and a few friends had carved out our own little cult which had a strange obsession with this game.I still remember that one night we stayed up in hopes of beating this game,but that's a different story all together.After lying dormant in my memory for many years,I had all but forgotten about this game until the other day when I happened to chance upon this game in our mall.I bought it and took it home,hoping to have as much fun as possible.Well,it's not as good as it was with my friends,but it's still a wild,very entertaining,and strangely odd,ride.So sit back and bear with me,because here I go!

Story:4/10
The story of Mystical Ninja is an odd one.A few renegade members of the Flake gang form their own gang,the Peach Mountain Shoguns.Lead by Kitty Lilly and Dancin',they seek to turn all of Japan into a giant stage,on which they can perform plays for the masses.Well,this doesn't sit well for Goemon and Ebisumaru,because this plan also involves the kidnapping of their friends.And so they set off to stop the Peach Mountain shoguns.Along the way they meet up with their old friend Yae,who has also been sent to investigate these strange happenings.The cast of characters is even further expanded later into the game when they pick up the Giant Robot Impact! and another old friend,Sasuke,the robot ninja.All in all,the stories nothing to write home about in over all quality,but in weirdness,well.......it gets a 10 out of 10 for pure weirdness.

Gameplay:8/10
I've always been a fan of 3D adventure games,and this one is no exception.The play is somewhat reminiscent of Zelda,with a behind-the-shoulder 3rd person view and a large world that you have to explored,going from one area to another in hopes of piecing things together,broken up by dungeons.The main emphasis of these dungeons is a combination of action and puzzle solving,at least in the later dungeons anyway.You need to use the right character to help out in certain situations.For example:If you're trying to enter a deep underwater area,use Yae's mermaid ability to allow you to dive.If you need to find a path that isn't readily visible,use Ebisumaru's wind-up camera.And if you need to cross large gaps,Sauke's your man,with his flying ability.And if there's a metal block preventing you from getting an item,call on Goemon's sudden impact powers to turn him into a juggernaut.Sadly,the emphasis on puzzles drops late into the game,turning it more into an all out action fest whilst you tramp from door to door trying to find the next key to open a locked door.Aw hell,there's never really that much emphasis on puzzles,but that doesn't really affect the game.I for one enjoy it's simpleness.However,there's one BIG exception to these rules:The Impact Battles.These happen when your characters need to fight some giant,evil robot or some-such nonsesne.The premise is wacky,but the battles are INCREDIBLYfun!!My only complaint is the small number of moves Impact has.A rapid punch,a heavy punch,throwing coins that do very little damage,a kick,a chain pipe,and a laser are all that poor Impact has.This really doesn't take away from the battles,though,because you'll be having too much fun kicking in your enemies face to notice it.

Graphics:3/10
Not much to say here.The graphics aren't all that spectacular,in fact they're pretty plain.The enemy design,with the exception of the robots and Dancin',are pretty stupid.Pop-up is frequent,as is fog.Oh well,I guess that in a game this fun,poor graphics can be forgiven.

Sound:10/10
The music is perhaps the most enjoyable music I've heard in video games outside of an RPG.The regular music for exploring is pretty well done,and sounds exactly right for a game like this.Town music is pretty good,too,giving the air of calm to this games otherwise frantic-ness.Sound effects are ok,ranging from pops when ever you hit an enemy with your pole,to shouts the characters make when they're angry,but who cares about sound effects anyway?Where the music really shines,however,are the musical numbers in this game.The opening theme is EXTREMELY catchy,and the crazy song-and-dance number near the end of the game is just plain funny.But ''I am Impact!'' is the greatest of them all.Great music,catchy lyrics.Hell,you'll probably end up singing this song where ever you go,just like I do.All in all,the sound is excellent.Oh,and there is a sound test,just in case you care to listen to the songs again.

Replayability:4/10
The replayability is ok,but there's not much to go back for after you beat it.Sure,you can look for the fortune dolls that are scattered everywhere,but it's really of no importance if you didn't care for boss battles,because the only reward for finding them is a boss-battle mode.Oh well,at least the rest of the game is great.

Challenge:1/10
When I was in 3rd grade,this game was hard as hell,taking me and my friends nearly 3 weeks to finish,but these days,it's so easy I'm convinced one could beat it in about 3 hours.Oh well,it's still incredibly fun!

Rent our buy:Buy
Do you like crazy,spontaneous,frantic games with great music and wacky-ass hapenings?THEN THIS IS THE GAME FOR YOU!!!!!

Bottom line:Great
Even by today's standards,Mystical Ninja is a fun little romp.The characters and plot line are wacky,and the music great.Sure,the replayability is low and the graphics are forgettable,but I for one have never placed much value on such things,as long as it entertains me for my play through.I warn,however,that this game is NOT for everyone.That's about all.......oh,and could you forget any grammar and spelling errors?I'm kinda busy right now so I don't feel like checking them.Oh well,over and out.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/03/02, Updated 03/03/02