Shinobido Takumi [PS2/JPN]

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

New Game / Start a new adventure with a stealthy ninja dubbed Goh
Load Data / Resume a game from memory card
Mission Editor / Create new missions and save them to memory card
Gallery / View 8 cinemas from the game - four are immediately viewable
Options / Set volumes, screen aspect ratio, color balance, vibration

* Start a new game and you're outside outside the estate of a daimyo. Make a sound by slashing your sword through the air and the nearby retainer who is carrying a lantern will turn around. Slash some more and he'll walk over to investigate. Once he spots you, he'll attack and call out to his fellow guards and they'll all go into a heightened state of alert as they converge on your location to kill Goh.

* Most people go through an entrance when going to someone's residence. Goh doesn't have to follow the conventions of polite society. He can scale the wall and leap onto the roof of the entrance to survey the opposition and plan his method of attack. The entire length of the roof may be traversed to reach the inner sanctum of the estate but if you're seen, the guards will attack quickly and ruthlessly. There are archers amongst the guards and their arrows will poke into Goh once they connect. At one point, we were running around with two arrows sticking out of Goh's back and one arrow poking into his abdomen at an odd angle. To escape the wrath of the guards, it's possible to retreat to the rooftops but they will climb up to attack you as well. The target daimyo is a fat bloke who attacks with a pistol but his large hide can't run too far.

* The difficulty level of the overall game has gone up from the earlier Imashime. The enemies attack in concerted death squads and give no quarter once you've been spotted. This is what we've been waiting for - enemies who all attack at once instead of hanging back. Kudos to Spike for publishing a tough and unforgiving 3D hack 'n slasher.

* As you walk around the rooftops checking out where all the guards are, you can hear them yawning but once they're alert, they're in full attack mode. There's a pink kimono-wearing woman in the level who screams when you're spotted to alert the guards as well.

* Another mission in the game is a delivery mission where Goh hefts a big green package on his left shoulder and runs through rooftops to avoid henchmen. If he's spotted, he'll have to drop his delivery and face off against hardened samurai warriors who block blows with savvy and slash with unnerving accuracy.

* In yet another mission, Goh has to make his way through booby-trapped platforms that shoot out bamboo spikes from the floor which then withdraw for another attack. The level also features fiery blasts, massive boulders with spikes that shoot out from ejection chutes, and explosives that blow when triggered.

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