Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja

"Humor, Challenge, and Ninjas!"

Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja has rarely left my DS since I picked it up. This is a charming, hilarious, and challenging game that will provide hours of enjoyment to those willing to give it a chance. I have enjoyed most of the quirky DS titles Atlus has made available and this is no exception.

GAMEPLAY
In terms of gameplay, Izuna resembles Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. There is a central town where you can talk to characters, purchase items, and do everything else you would expect. From there you venture into different dungeon to tackle hordes of monsters. Combat and exploration takes place in a turn-based system. After you do something, all the monsters on that floor in the dungeon do as well. So, if you move then the monsters can move and attack too, you attack a monster and then it gets a turn to attack you. If you stand in one place then the enemies stand still as well. Dungeons are randomly generated and each floor is liberally sprinkled with items for you to pick up and traps to hinder your progress. At the end of each dungeon is a boss fight.

Izuna is a challenging game. You will die quite a few times, especially if you find yourself surrounded by enemies. However, you will find talismans in each dungeon that have all different sorts of effects, from casting spells that hit all enemies in range to teleporting you out of danger. Healing items can be purchased in town and you will find a good number randomly placed in the dungeons as well. Annoyingly, when you die you will lose all your money and items. This is not as horrible as it sounds, as you can find a talisman that allows you to return to town with all of your money and items (though you do not always find it before you die a couple times), another talisman, if affixed to your weapon, will let you keep that if you are defeated. You can store both money and items at a storehouse in town and anything stored there will safe if you die. You also have the option of saving between each floor of a dungeon, if you are really worried about losing items and money. Some of the stiff challenge presented by the enemies can be made much more reasonable by investing a little time in leveling up before entering a new dungeon or challenging a boss.

Weapons in Izuna wear down over time and must be taken to a blacksmith and repaired or repaired with certain talismans. Considering all of the other challenges in the game, this seems excessive. In addition to keeping your weapon you have to maintain it, something that ends up seeming unfair. Another complaint is that the turn-based system of actions extends to walking around town. I cannot understand why this was done, as it looks ridiculous and it makes it difficult to talk to some people who are always moving.

GRAPHICS
The graphics in Izuna are nothing really special. The sprites are large and pretty well detailed and animate nicely. The anime drawings of the characters that accompany their dialogue are great. Everything is bright and colorful and fitting with the lighthearted mood of the game. The enemy design can be a bit repetitive with tougher monsters just being different colors than the ones you've seen before. Overall, if you like 2D sprites, there is nothing to complain about here, but nothing to wow you either.

SOUND
The sound in Izuna is wonderful. You have perky Japanese-themed music that fits perfectly with the rest of the game and is often a pleasure to listen to. Some spoken Japanese dialogue has been left in the game as well and only adds to its charm.

STORY
The story here is not particularly deep or engaging, but it is funny and enough to make you want to keep playing. Just talking to the villagers between dungeons is good for a few laughs. Izuna has angered the gods and causes all of the villagers to get cursed, often with hilarious results. The story might not be the deepest or the most cinematic but it is original and presented well.

OVERALL
If you are looking for a quirky little RPG with challenging gameplay, an addictive battle system, and lots of laughs, you can't go wrong with Izuna. Fans of action RPGs in general and anyone who enjoyed Pokemon Mystery Dungeon should look this game as well. There are hours and hours of solid gameplay here, complete with a 100 level dungeon to tackle after you finish the main storyline. Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja is a worthy addition to your DS library.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/12/07