Combining platforming and adventure within a comical, intoxicatingly exotic setting, 1992's Legend of the Mystical Ninja delivers culture shock at its finest, though some portions are clunky as a neglected 1600's karakuri. Konami's odd couple Goemon and Ebisumaru cross the bridge over Shikoku's whirlpool laden Naruto Straight, flee the fearsome sumo dogs of Tosa, sample the distinctive climate and language of the Ryukyuu Kingdom and brave unforgettable bosses in order to rescue Princess Yuki.
Beginning the adventure, Goemon's cheerful home village quickly turns apocalyptic as a purple fog descends and the local graveyard's o-bake take over the town. The adjoining Horohoro Temple, set to a groovy bass and lively plucking of a shamisen, is guarded by an unnerving tanuki and features push-able gravestones hiding underground passages, swaying willow trees, decaying walls and an unearthly fog covering distant forests and mountains. Before deflecting the Ghost Priestess, you're besieged by various monstrosities well-known in Nippon, but entirely alien to the average westerner.
Based on real life Edo-Japan locales, the nine towns feel alive with bustling economies. Under the albatross of a semi-replenishable hourglass, they beg to be investigated slowly as you seek information from residents, learn powerful jutsu or even frustrate restaurateurs with your indecisiveness. Among a staggering amount of mini-games, the entire first level of Gradius may be challenged! An onslaught of local ruffians with tricky attacks and random item drops bring addictive frenetic action to the hurried exploration. Connected to each town, the wilderness and enemy strongholds making up the action stages feel slightly unrefined and a bit too stressful, as you're constantly negotiating delicate landings onto moving platforms and projectiles threatening to knock you into a pit. While the added depth of the armor upgrade and item system is well-intentioned, their lack of permanency across the many inevitable cheap deaths makes the investment as fleeting as cherry blossom season.
The graphics are incredibly rich for an early 16-bit title. In particular, the cohesive effect of highly scenic backgrounds make the worlds feel far vaster than their actual size. While the music veers towards a playful, stereotypical Japanese sound, many tracks utilize synthesizers in remarkably haunting fashion, giving this title a unique melancholy missing in other entries. The English localization is so awkward and arguably insulting that it's enjoyable for its absurdity. The Japanese edition features additional cutscenes deemed too earthy by western censors.
While so many moments are immensely endearing, the overall execution prevents this from being a top-tier SNES game. If only it was neatly tied together by a world map, employed a more effective inventory system and omitted certain archaic design features and outrageous difficulty spikes. As is, the first half is still largely excellent before real problems begin to manifest; culminating with saving up for an expensive dictionary, a palm-sweating rollercoaster segment and a reoccurring daruma boss that would enrage even a Buddhist Roshi, all in one stage. At that point, don't consider cheating entirely dishonorable. A Mystical Ninja completes their mission by any means necessary.
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