The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

"It's An Odd Dish, But A Tasty One"

'Legend of the Mystical Ninja' is a brave attempt to bring the Ganbare Goemon series to American shores, although I am not completely certain as to how successful the attempt was. (Well, the game arrived here just fine, of course, but I have no idea if it made a profit in doing so.) If it wasn't a hit, then I count that as a shame, because this is a charming and unique adventure that adds a lot of spice to the Super Nintendo stew.
The game charts the adventures of Goemon and Ebisamaru, who have been renamed Ying and Yang to spare younger Americans the embarassment of being unable to pronounce the hero of their new video game. As usual, you are saving innocent people from the big, bad evil forces of something-or-other. Hey, the plot is arbitrary... just kick back and enjoy the silly, good-natured fun.
There are two basic sequences in the game: town sequences, and battle sequences. In the various towns of the game, you can talk to people and spend your hard-earned cash on much-needed equipment and supplies. You can also play one of the most entertaining batch of mini-games around. There's Gradius (because EVERY Konami title needs a Gradius mini-game), Whack-A-Mole, and perhaps the most amusing little horse track in gaming history. (If you ever want to feel like a total goober, just pop in this game and play the ponies for a while. You'll be cheering for those little horses like nobody's business.) There are other mini-games as well, and they are all entertaining (especially in two-player cooperative mode).
Yes, indeed, I said the magic words: 'two-player cooperative.' Anyone who knows me or has read other reviews of mine is aware that I am very hardcore about two-player cooperative games. (For whatever reason, I think that playing together with a friend for the common good is the way that video games should be played, for most of the time.) Playing with a pal is definitely the way to go in this game; not only does it perk up the mini-games, but two players have some cooperative moves in the battle scenes, such as piggy-backing.
The battle scenes are fun for the most part, although they tend to be overshadowed by the town scenes. While the action is above-average, it's not particularly addictive, and you'll probably find yourself wanting to go quickly back into town to spend your new cash on the gambling games. The battles with the bosses tend to be a mixed bag, some of them being more chaotic than exciting. But for the most part, the battle scenes provide a solid injection of action between breaks.
The graphics in the game are fine; nothing especially staggering, but they suit the slightly comical tone of the adventure. The Japanese style of the game art should be a breath of fresh air to American game audiences. The characters are drawn especially well, giving them a lot of personality and vibrance.
'Legend of the Mystical Ninja' has some enjoyable music in the Japanese vein. The sounds are fun as well, all very suitable to the game. (Although during the horse-racing game, you'll probably be yelling too loud to hear the music.)
''C'mon, you stupid horse! Run! Run!!!!''
Or perhaps that's just me.
Some might find this game to be a bit too silly, but I enjoy games that have a sense of humor. The action is loosely based on other platform titles, but a lot of the game's attitude and personality is unique and exciting. This is a highly enjoyable game, and comes heartily recommended to anyone who wants to play something that's a little different.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/24/00, Updated 02/24/00