Daniel Stafford: 'Ninja Senki' Takes It Back to the Old School (of Gaming)

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

'Ninja Senki' Takes It Back to the Old School (of Gaming)

It's almost a brand new year, so we thought we'd say goodbye to 2010 with a round of indie and Flash platformers that hearken back to yesteryear while looking toward tomorrow. The genre that 'Super Mario Bros.' created 25 years ago is still going strong, and, whether you're a nostalgia hound or just a gamer who needs his twitch fix, these games aim for the throwback.

Don't let its cutesy pixel graphics fool you; 'Ninja Senki' is a dyed-in-the-wool old school platformer, replete with the punishing difficulty that classics like 'Ninja Gaiden' and 'Contra' made famous. Okay, maybe it's not as insane as 'Contra,' but, in this day and age of unlimited "Continues" and hand-holding, 'Ninja Senki' is either incredibly refreshing or incredibly frustrating. (Or both.)

The formula is simple. You have two lives, plus the ability to jump and throw shurikens, and the game has an armada of grueling enemies and platform challenges to thwart your grand plans at every turn. Even the game's control scheme threw us for a loop. The 'J' key will throw a projectile while the 'K' key will make you jump and double jump. If you're not using a game-pad, you'll have to use the cramped keyboard spacing of this layout. (We don't recommend it.) Survival hinges on mastering your double-jump, so make sure to learn when you're at the apex of your jump. You'll also need to be able to hurl a shuriken like a ninja, as enemies will come running at you as soon as you land on a platform. The most important thing, however, is memorization. Like any old-school game, you'll die and die again until you learn enemy patterns and the level's layout. Like the best classic games, you'll enter into a masochistic relationship with 'Ninja Senki.' You'll die a billion times, get a little further, die once more, and love every minute of it.

Gallery: Ninja Senki