When I was a kid my parents allowed me to rent video games almost every weekend. I still remember my dad getting impatient because I would sit there in the rental store and read the back of almost every game box. This is how I stumbled upon Legend of the Mystical Ninja. The cover is admittedly off-putting. The game looked like a beat ’em up and I simply couldn’t resist. This gamble I took resulted in me finding what was one of the single best, and most overlooked Super Nintendo games of all time. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja deserves more attention than it initially received. Today I’m here to tell you why.
This game’s story focuses around two protagonists in a cartoony and flamboyant version of ancient Japan. Kid Ying and Dr. Yang live in Oedo, and one day catch wind of a local ghost terrorizing its citizens. Defeating the spirit in a local temple sets into motion an adventure that sends them across old Japan as they fight against and eventually put an end to the evil Yafutoma clan. It’s a little surprising that Konami saw it fit to change the names of the protagonists for this English release of the game, but it isn’t a huge deal.
Legend of the Mystical Ninja is tough to pin down to a specific genre because it blends so many of them together. On one hand its part beat ’em and adventure game as you explore town areas defeating foes and collecting clues/items which allow you to proceed in the adventure. The action picks up as you enter side scrolling areas that are more focused around platforming and fighting off hordes of enemies as well as a boss at the end. These are the two basic gameplay modes, but there’s a ton of content here.
The biggest draw of this game is its two player mode. You and another person can play through the entire game together. Just about everything here allows for both to participate. Kid Ying and Dr. Yang may have different weapons, but both function almost identical. They have the same reach with each swing, the same walking speed, and same jump. You’re not missing out on anything from a gameplay perspective no matter who you choose.
Surprisingly the town areas where you’re allowed to explore are the most entertaining sections in two player mode. Generally these places are used to gather money, buy items, learn special moves, advance the story, and participate in mini-games. These are mostly self explanatory. I will say that the mini-games in particular are a real treat and there are a lot of them. These include a three dimensional first person maze that you wander through as well as a re-creation of the first level of Gradius. There’s even a demo of Arkanoid, and more. The developers put a lot of effort into the mini-game aspect here.
The next basic gameplay mode plays like a typical side scrolling action game. The multiplayer is what elevates it to new heights. In these dungeon areas you fight myriads of enemies as you try to make it from one end of the level to the next. It’s pretty basic, but as I said earlier being able to play with a friend definitely makes a difference. What’s especially cool is the fact that any special moves you learned in town can be used here. They cost scrolls but these are simply dropped by enemies. These skills are pretty nifty such as one that allows you to ride on the back of an animal, another which gives you the ability to fly, and two others which are screen filling attacks.
While they differ between the two characters the effect is largely the same. Another cool aspect is the fact that if you die your character comes back temporarily as a ghost allowing you to fly around the screen pop back into play anywhere you choose. Some of the action areas require some pretty intense platforming, and when you’re playing with a friend it can become confusing. Thankfully the players can piggyback on each other in these areas which greatly reduces frustration especially if one is better as platforming games than the other.
The boss encounters are the absolute highlight of this game. Generally they are set up in such a way that both characters can plug away at the normally gigantic foe at the same time. Most of these feature multiple targets. This is where the game usually is at its most zany; one particularly memorable boss fight involves a giant floating head that gets larger and more angry as you hit it. Another throws you against a monster wearing a gigantic lantern hat. You actually have to climb it in order to destroy each of the individual lights.
These boss encounters are especially fun with two players. A lot of these boss encounters seems to have been designed with co-op in mind. Another boss encounter throws two different enemies at different sides of the screen. They mix things up by tossing a ball back and forth. It’s pretty neat and makes for a very memorable boss encounter. With co-op being such a focus the game isn’t optimized for running through with just one player. On your own some of the stages feel a little empty. Many of the boss encounters that feature multiple targets are more complicated with just one person.
RPG elements are prevalent here as well. While you have a typical life bar (that is restored with food items and staying at Inns) you can purchase a myriad of defensive equipment. Purchasing additional pairs of sandals will allow Kid Ying and Dr. Yang to walk faster and jump farther, and you can also purchase armor which increases your defensive capabilities. You will find food shops littered throughout every town. Some is consumed immediately while others are kept within your inventory and activated when your health is low. Money is a valuable commodity in this game and is obtained mostly by collecting coins dropped by defeated enemies. You can also get more from the aforementioned mini-games, and there’s even a lottery. Sometimes you’ll even find large cash values hidden in secret rooms which is really cool.
Legend of the Mystical Ninja is really good looking by Super Nintendo standards. The environments are full of detail, and the developers did not shy away from making everything vivid and colorful. The game makes fantastic use of its themes, and it gets really over the top with the ancient Japan angle. What’s also cool is the fact that very few enemies are mere palette swaps. Instead the developers drew up an astounding number of different foes. This is very impressive as the game is already quite long.
Unfortunately this title does suffer from a bit of slowdown. This is expected given that this is an early SNES title. With two players and several enemies on-screen at once game tends to dip. Fortunately this is an occasional event, and it’s never long lasting. Overall this is a very good looking game. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja really makes me miss the days when developers didn’t paint everything in brown and grey.
This soundtrack is one of a kind, and stands out as one of the most memorable of all time. Konami focused on instilling each song with a distinct Asian flavor, and it transcends several different genres. You have slow calm music, fast and upbeat, or even eerie. It’s really hard to pick a favorite track because they all sound amazing, but Oedo village really does a great job of setting this up as a grand adventure across Japan. The town themes in general are better than the tracks for the action sequences, but all are good overall. The sound effects are really good as well with a lot of different samples for enemies as well as environmental elements. I’m very happy with the audio in this game, and this stands out as one of my favorite soundtracks of all time even today.
Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a very distinct blend of genres, and no other game has come close to matching the same appeal as this title. This game wins in so many categories for me that it isn’t even funny. It’s one of the best platformers, and it’s also as an amazing beat ’em up as well. In addition, the game also has some of the best mini-games, one of the greatest soundtracks, and is easily one of the most fun co-op games ever released. This is easily one of the best releases across the entire 16-bit genre.
