Ninja: Shadow of Darkness (1998)
Eidos plots to kill Activision's Tenchu with its upcoming ninja adventure

by Jason Boor (IGN Staff) - July 6, 1998

Remember when ninja use to be cool? I mean, you had Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe, Shinobi and Shadow Dancer in the arcades, and who could forget that bad-ass from Pray For Death, Sho Kosugi. But now, we have the Power Rangers. What happened? Eidos promises to resurrect the violent ninja spirit with its newest action game, Ninja.

The hero of the game is Kurosawa, a Ninja who must defeat the evil warlord Katasaki. Unfortunately for Kurosawa, Katasaki has summoned the help of the demon lord Batanaka. Batanaka has littered the land with demons and goblins, and they all want a piece of Kurosawa. Curse those crazy demon lords!

Staged in three different worlds, Ninja enables gamers to wander and conquer through 14 different areas which include haunted cemeteries, dark forests, high mountain tops, and eerie catacombs. It's not a hiking trip kids, these places are decorated with nasty traps and evil ninja -- so watch out.

You honestly don't think Eidos would put you in this kind of scenario without some weapons and stuff, right? Oh yeah, gamers will be able slice and dice through 50 different enemies using katana blades, sai, throwing stars, shoot, even ninja magic. Believe me, you'll have plenty of stuff to use against these bad boys.

Ninja is looking pretty good. However, after seeing Activision's Tenchu, we just might have to wait and see which ninja game has the most skills.


Ninja Ships Today (1998)
Eidos' and Core Designs' action-adventure game, Ninja, ships to retailers today.

by IGN Staff - October 8, 1998

So you thought that Core Design only made Tomb Raider games? Well, you'll have to think again on that one. Ninja: Shadow of Darkness, the action-adventure game, is just one of its others, and is shipping today to retail stores across North America.

Here's a brief outline of the game: Overview: You will enter the mystical world of Kurosawa, the young Ninja, as he is drawn into a unfriendly world of demon hordes, dark magic, and mystical creatures.

Ninja is a classic arcade-adventure inspired by games such as Double Dragon and Ghosts and Goblins. Armed with ancient Japanese weapons and magic, the Ninja must move swiftly to overcome the deadly hazards that hinder his quest to free the land from the rule of the demon lord.

Here are a few features of the game:

* Thirteen stages in full 3D, featuring highly detailed split level environments and a range of special effects that stretch the PlayStation hardware to the limit.
* Action is viewed through a third-person cinematic camera system controlled by the game engine.
* Combat features hand-to-hand fighting (including combinations) plus magic moves and a variety of weapons that may be powered-up.
* More than 50 enemies with specific attack and defense strategies plus huge end-of-level bosses guarantee non-stop action.
* Bonus points gained are attributed to additional health, extra lives, extra weapons, and invulnerability.