I-Ninja - PS2

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I-Ninja (PS2)
Also for: PC, Xbox, GameCube
Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Adventure
Platform
Media: DVD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Argonaut
Publishers: Namco (GB)
Released: 13 Feb 2004 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 7+
Features: Vibration Function Compatible, Analogue Control Compatible: analogue sticks only
Accessories: Memory Card

Summary

We can't stop thinking about ninjas. These guys are cool; and by cool, we mean totally sweet. Any game, therefore, that gives you the chance to take on the role of something so crazy and awesome is definitely a good thing - which is why we got more than a little excited about this martial arts-themed action platformer from Argonaut.

Set on an Earth-like planet known as 'The World', I-Ninja follows the eponymous warrior who, under instruction from his master 'Sensei', embarks on a quest to recover lost Rage Stones and free the land's inhabitants, imprisoned by the evil Master O-Dor's army of robotic Ranx.

In a similar vein to the likes of Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank, the game sees you explore a diverse array of detailed environments and undertake an assortment of different missions given to you by the Sensei, whilst collecting plenty of stuff along the way and, of course, doing battle with a relentless onslaught of enemies. Each of the environments is complicated in design, meaning that, in order to get around, you have to make use of the little guy's impressive roster of gravity-defying moves. Subsequently, within minutes you soon find yourself running up and along walls, grinding rails, swinging on chains, and hovering over chasms with your trusty 'sword copter'.

Throughout the game, as the difficulty level starts to increase, so must the mini martial artist's abilities - as you progress through the missions, you must also do so through the ninja grading system and earn the respective different coloured belts in order to access later areas. There's also a wide variety of weaponry to discover along the way, ranging from the more traditional shurikens to some rather extreme ballistics such as guided missiles.

I-Ninja is another welcome addition to the PlayStation 2's burgeoning catalogue of quality action platformers. It's also about ninjas - who are totally awesome and that's a fact!