Shop
Here we have all the games in the Shop Section.
Famicom Cart
Platform
More ninjas than you could shake a stick at as Hattori takes evasive action by heading from the trees as the procession marches through the forest. A shuriken throwing star or two never did any harm to Hattori’s chances of progression either. Good, traditional, staple platforming fun, as Japanese as miso soup.
Switch
Action
Six Ninja Ja Ja Maru games from 1985-91 well worth investigating and not just for the superfluous number of ninjas. Our wee ninja leaps around the platform levels dispatching shurikens to clear a path to rescue his beloved. Smashing though platforms to get a shortcut and grabbing the ghosts that rise from bosched opponents are all part of the fun.
Playstation
Platform
3D adventure including obligatory Indiana Jones style cart chase, yet with less cliched walking umbrellas, Lum Chan look-a-like and a kabuki styled enemies. Well worth taking on to rescue the kimono clad Princess Sakura. Also known as Ja Ja Maru.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Perfectly suited to the hardware as our wee ninja leaps around the platform levels dispatching shurikens to clear a path to rescue his beloved. Smashing though platforms to get a shortcut and grabbing the ghosts that rise from bosched opponents are all part of the fun.
Famicom Cart
Platform
An old school coin op style to the gameplay as our Ninja hops upwards to try and gain vertical ground up the screen. Cheeky oni enemies and nasty ninjas try and hinder progress, but a well-dispatched shuriken assists to put paid to them. And the gratitude of the little obachan at having hoped from wall to wall up the well makes it all worthwhile.
Famicom Cart
Platform
Delightful gaming as the wee ninja sprints through platform section to avoid the unwanted attentions of Dharma or sneaking along the sea bed avoiding over zealous octopus. Climbing up the mountain platforms to reach the top dispatching shurikens and the inevitable fall to the base is a good dose of arcade gameplay. Just remember the saying in Japan “Fall down seven time, get up eight times.” (Or twenty seven in Genki’s case…)
PC Engine HU Card
Action
Any title combining ninja’s, kunoichi (female ninja’s), shadowmen, snipers and fire ninja’s can’t be bad. Ninja Warriors is a fine conversion of Taito’s late eighties coin-op smash with the only feature lacking being the Darius style three sectioned screen.
Famicom Cart
RPG
Ninjas are never too far away in this feudal Japan RPG with cute sprites and turn based combat very much of its 8Bit style.
GameBoy Original
One on One Beat Em Up
Great use of the two buttons to provide some cracking special moves with many colourful in game characters.
PS2
Action
Ancient chanbara title set in feudal Japan with lovely period setting cut scenes adding to the atmosphere. Includes a few mini games to boost your stats such as gambling away on the dice. Plenty of weapons to choose from; some looking more at home in the garden shed, but adding to the variety nevertheless. Battles are jammed with speed lines and the fleeting effect screen when the fatal blow is struck does justice to the samurai’s honour – even in death.
🏆Sizzler
Nintendo DS
RPG
Anything that the hand of Studio Ghibli touches screams animated gold and this emotive RPG is no exception. Right from the start Oliver sheds a tear wishing his mother would return and its the emotional investment in this exquisitely animated adventure that makes it so worthwhile. The accompanying Magic Book contains simple drawings that can be copied onscreen to unleash powerful attacks in the Final Fantasy style battle sequences. Miyazaki’s characters seem to almost transcend language and speak from the heart. Unless of course we are just trying to gloss over this being Japanese language… Yet should this fail to make a translation, to miss out on it would surely be the more heinous crime…
Super Famicom
Platform
Based on the antics of the TV anime series jammed packed with ninjas and kunoichi, or female ninjas. Genki is a sucker for any ninja game, especially in the colourful SFC style. The setting of the anime is in a ninja school where you train to become a fully fledged assassin, but not without a few mishaps on the way.
Super Famicom
Platform
Based on the antics of the TV anime series jammed packed with ninjas and kunoichi, or female ninjas. Genki is a sucker for any ninja game, especially in the colourful SFC style. The setting of the anime is in a ninja school where you train to become a fully fledged assassin, but not without a few mishaps on the way.
GameBoy Original
Puzzle
Matching up the blocks of the jumbled up pictures with the superb styling of ninja family Nintama. The characterisation adds much to the melee and plenty of colour to the black and white proceedings.
Super Famicom
Puzzle
Matching up the blocks of different colours and designs with the superb styling of ninja family Nintama. The characterisation adds much to the melee and plenty of colour to proceedings.
Nintendo Hardware
Accessory
Very colourful design to hold a Nintendo 2DS handheld keeping it safely stored on journeys featuring the zany style of The Snack World.
Nintendo Hardware
Accessory
Connects to the back of the 64 controller to allow gamers to download data from Game Boy games into the Nintendo 64, often unlocking bonus stages. A nice collectable in the Nintendo World which never forgets its roots in thinking about compatibility, or perhaps the bottom line when it comes to Pokemon..?
Nintendo Hardware
Accessory
Vibrates in sync with the on screen action. Adds enjoyment to a long list of titles such as Star Fox, Mario 64, Wave Race, Golden Eye… Very panic inducing when used on Golden Eye and you don’t know where the shots are coming from.
Nintendo Hardware
Accessory
This is the console holder part of the Morinaga produced Nintendo 64 rack. A controller holder clips onto the side to keep cables under control. Separate units allowed it to be built up like eighties flat pack furniture into a full console and game storage unit.
Merchandise
Magazine
A release to celebrate all that is good and wholesome with the Mini SFC. Jammed packed with screenshots and hints.
Nintendo Hardware
Adaptor
AC Adaptor for DS or SP. Compatible to charge both the Nintendo DS and the GameBoy Advance SP, the unit is supplied with UK standard plug.
Nintendo Hardware
Accessory
With a section for DS games, the stylus and the handheld itself, this football themed DS holder pouch looks fabulous in its blue livery.
Nintendo Hardware
Handheld
Very slick, very stylish DSi with snappy white finish to the console in line with its slick design.
Soundtracks
Soundtrack
Delightful tunes from Zelda, Famicom Wars, Wrecking Crew, Devil World, Metroid and the Famicom Disk System.
Merchandise
Merchandise
Nintendo hasn’t forgotten its roots as a card manufacturer of the highest quality. Housed in a plastic box, the cards themselves are beautifully illustrated featuring all your Nintendo faves in a traditional Japanese setting. A real find for collectors.
Nintendo Hardware
Accessory
Sticker sheets with eyes and letters to customise Labo creations besides colourful tape.
Gamecube
Puzzle
Compilation of three of the finest puzzlers to come out of Kyoto: Dr. Mario, Yoshi’s Cookie and the lesser known Panel De Pon. Remixed soundtracks, crisp, easily distinguished graphics with nice, retro sound effects. Whilst most veteran gamers will be familiar with the other two, Panel De Pon is possibly the unsung hero of the collection with tiles being switched around to clear lines in time honoured tradition. Simple, yet deadly addictive.
Miscellaneous Games
Merchandise
A video CD showcase collectable being produced by Sega and possibly linked to its research for arcade racing AM2 team. Very unusual collectable from the brand that gave us spiky hedgehogs and racing tracks with fruit machines suspended above.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Super deformed versions of the Toshinden characters in a similar vein to Virtua Fighter Kids, yet with simplified special moves. Very tasty graphics as impressive as those of Toshinden were upon its release to a software hungry PSX public. The festival stage looks particularly nice.
PS3
One on One Beat Em Up
Heavy doujin influence to this pretty fight fest with the Heroines looking good for the developers eye for talent. Anime cut scenes, J Pop soundtrack, seamless backgrounds, extravagant specials, not to mention the fine extras that all cry out: for the gamers. Enjoy the eye candy, but be wary of the deeper mechanics this fine flurry of fists has its roots in.