Developer: Konami Osaka Publisher: Konami Released: 1998 Genre: Adventure
Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a SNES classic and you should go buy it right now. Unfortunately not enough gamers bought it back in the day as the series stayed in Japan for close to a decade. But Konami took a chance on it once again with Mystical Ninja starring Goemon for the N64. Despite his absence from the overseas market for so long the series did not lose a step in spite of the move to 3d. It might be a little clunky but this is still an entertaining game even today.
It is just another day in Oedo Town when suddenly a UFO appears over Oedo Castle. In a flash it changes the castle into a European style villa. The culprit? A man named Dancin who wants to turn all of Japan into a stage for his performance. Goemon and Ebisumaru are hired to stop his plans, even if it does seem a bit harmless. The story is one of the best aspects of Mystical Ninja. The game legitimately funny and comes complete with a laugh track. It is very self-aware of its absurdity and pokes fun at itself at every turn. The humor helps to offset the game’s growing pains in the move to 3d and while it can be frustrating at times I still feel it is a worthwhile adventure.
While it may not be familiar to us Mystical Ninja is essentially a 3d version of Ganbare Goemon 3 for the Super Famicom. That game had an action RPG feel compared to its side-scrolling predecessors. In this case however the gameplay heavily resembles Zelda. As you explore the various towns, castles and the countryside you will speak to villagers for clues, buy items in shops, and explore the vast countryside. Although the world map is not very large it is still easy to get lost. The game provides guidance in the form of the creepy Plasma man, who for a small donation will point you in the right direction.
All four heroes of the series return although they are not all available from the start. While they each had minor differences in the Super Famicom games a lot more has been done to make them unique. This comes down to their special items mostly. Goemon gains a chain pipe to cross gaps and can throw blazing coins to light torches. Yae has flute to fast travel, a lock-on bazooka (!) and will eventually learn how to become a mermaid. Ebisumaru has the strangest items. The wind up camera reveals hidden items and ghosts and his meat hammer turns items into food. Odd enough he gains the power to shrink himself. Sasuke comes late in the game but his bombs will cause you to revisit previous areas. You gain these items and abilities at a fast clip which largely keeps the gameplay from becoming stale.
It is pretty amazing just how much Mystical Ninja resembles the Ocarina of Time even though it released a year prior in japan. The various themed castles are the equivalent of Zelda dungeons. You can find maps and a compass as in that series and must locate a gold key to unlock the castle boss. There is even an equivalent of pieces of heart to lengthen your life bar. It still has its own identity though. The character switching mechanic is used to great effect as everyone has at least one castle tailored to their abilities. Just like its 2d counterparts Goemon Impact is a fun addition to the game as well. Although it resembles the Ocarina of Time Mystical Ninja lacks its polish sadly.
The camera is the biggest issue with the game. You have no manual control over the camera. For the most part the game is smart about adjusting the camera after a few seconds. But in tight corners or on hills it practically gives up. There is no lock-on feature for attacks outside of the bazooka which makes basic combat clunky. The game heavily relies on revisiting previous locations to pad out its length as well. These are all issues that plagued early 3d games and while they are annoying they do no break the game thankfully. It does make you appreciate the way the Ocarina of Time revolutionized not just the genre but gaming in general in this regard.
Mystical Ninja used a larger cartridge than most N64 games at the time which allows it to have a greater variety of textures. The game does its best to fully realize its Japanese setting and for the most part does so. But is still cannot avoid some of the trappings of early 3d games. There is heavy clipping in its environments and the textures are extremely blurry. The majority of its cartridge was dedicated to sound and in that category it excels. The soundtrack is fantastic if a bit repetitive. But at least the jingles are memorable. There are even three full songs with lyrics although English speakers will have to make do with subtitles.
In Closing
Mystical Ninja starring Goemon is an enjoyable romp and an easy purchase for those seeking another adventure like Zelda. Its setting and tone separate it from that series and though short is incredibly memorable while it lasts.
