Sword of the Samurai

Copyright : Zeppelin Games | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

You are a noble member of a martial arts clan, defender of all that is good and pure. You must rescue all of the hostages from the clutches of an evil gang of renegade ninjas. There are three being held on each of the seven levels.

Graphics

The first striking thing about Sword of the Samurai is the graphics. Bright and varied colours jostle around the screen and are very pleasing on the eyes. Each of the enemy ninjas can be clearly defined and differentiated between not just by the colour of their clothing but also by their very design. The designers have gone for a very Japanese look to their graphics and this is certainly a wise move. Visually, the game despite itâ??s motivations, it as good as Shinobi and this is blatantly the aim of the developers.

Sound

This is the one area where Sword of the Samurai lets itâ??s self down. No music and very little in the way of spot effects (restricted to the whiz of a flying shuriken) â?? this is a big disappointment in an otherwise damn fine game.

Gameplay

Sword of the Samurai is fast and furious fun from the word go. Once you figure out how to get on to the upper platforms (press fire when you push up), the game really opens up and is surprisingly addictive. With only a short time limit on each level to rescue the hostages, thereâ??s no time to be hanging around and thankfully you soon learn quicker and easier ways to dispatch the different types of enemy.

Armed only with some shurikens and your sword to begin with, you eventually are rewarded with more deadly cutthroat daggers that can be thrown at distance and do more damage. While the sword is effective, you have to be up close to use it, which can be dangerous.

Despite itâ??s obvious Shinobi rip-off origins, Sword of the Samurai is an excellent little title and is addictive enough to keep you coming back for more.