I-Ninja

"A fun and quirky title"

The beginning opens with a comedic scene. The very beginning is indicative of the type of game I-Ninja is. From an action perspective, I-Ninja doesn't really excel, but there are plenty of quirks and comical moments spread throughout the game that keeps things interesting. Our protagonist's voice adds to the comedic scenes. His presence in the very beginning sets the tone to how the game plays out. The story follows a ninja (of course). The sensei quickly lets the apprentice know of the situation and the evil that is looming. As the protagonist, you quickly have to spring into action and defuse the situation. While I've never been Namco's biggest fan, Namco's sense of humor is duly noted.

I-Ninja surprisingly has an assortment of moves that the player can perform. While none are overly complicated to string together, the various moves within the move-set give the player plenty of different ways to defeat opponents. This would have been even better had the A.I been more aggressive. While adequate, the A.I wasn't anything to tout home about. Even with that said though, the action is packed and enemies keep coming. There is plenty of action in this action title. There are also some platforming elements to keep things varied.

While a bit on the short side, I-Ninja's level design was well designed and varied. This coupled with the numerous abilities that our protagonist has made the game a very fun experience. Some techniques such as wall running and grappling across gaps were incorporated nicely throughout levels. The biggest issue in the end however is the game's length. The game is far too short for its own good. However, the game does provide a fun experience through those short lived hours.

The graphics for the most part were solid. It was definitely not one of the Xbox's stronger candidates from a graphical standpoint, but it wasn't a bad looking game by any means. The character models had a quirky look, which made up for some of the lack of details. Of course, the level designs were dimmed down by the graphics, but overall it wasn't too bad. The music and voiceovers for the most part were solid as well. The voiceovers in the beginning were done very well, as it had me laughing. Overall, the sound and music were quite solid.

I-Ninja is a very good game. Even years after the game has come out, I still found myself enjoying I-Ninja. There is plenty of variety. While the game could have definitely used some added play time, the experience was enjoyable. It didn't really excel at anything, but it did well in many areas. There isn't much to complain about outside the somewhat iffy A.I at times and the truncated length. I-Ninja is definitely a budget title now, so by all means pick this game up.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/08

Game Release: I-Ninja (US, 12/04/03)