Ninja Assault - PS2

Japanese arcade giant Namco is a master of two popular gaming genres, the shoot-em-up and the beat-em-up. The company has gained invaluable experience from games such as Time Crisis and Point Blank and has rewarded Sony platforms with an ample supply of lightgun shooting fests. Namco has now made the transition to the PlayStation's successor with the release of Ninja Assault.

In a typically uninventive plot, an evil warlord and his minions are hard at work doing bad things, and have captured the delectable Princess Koto for their own selfish benefit. Playing as Guren or Gunjo, one of the princess' famed bodyguards, your goal is clear: save the princess from the clutches of evil.

Bottom line though, Ninja Assault is a pure first-person shoot-em-up that plays as well, if not better, than any Namco shooter to go before it. As ever, Namco has put considerable effort into developing a steady, manageable learning curve that rarely leaves players frustrated. Ninja Assault's main game spans nine rather large evil-infested worlds, and puts players shooting skills through numerous tests and challenges. Ninja Assault is by no means easy, so be sure to calibrate your weapon accurately.

To add a simple element of strategy, both players and enemies have energy levels similar to those seen in standard beat-em-ups. Most enemies need be pumped with several rounds of lead, while the player's energy can be replenished by targeting first aid crosses dotted strategically around the levels.

Two-player mode is limited, but its co-operative nature makes it one of the most welcome and enjoyable on a Namco game, bar Point Blank.

Ninja Assault leaves little to the imagination and there are few surprises, but shooting games were never renowned for outstanding narratives and storytelling. All you have to do is point the gun and shoot. Now that's fun! more