Ninjamurai sees you in the role of Ninja/Samurai Takezou as you take on the evil Black Armour Corporation. Ninjamurai is pure old school, and a fantastic blend of Shinobi and Sonic with cues from the more modern N+. The platforming requires deadly precision and the pace required to defeat tough enemies and pitfalls is quite often breakneck. The variety in the game modes and in the way you can approach the game (stealth or combat) is refreshing and adds strategy to the mix so it's not all twitchy button mashing the whole way. The artistic hand-drawn graphics and the music really add to the unique flavour and atmosphere of the game although the somewhat throw-away story at times feels a little too much of a placeholder but at other times leaves a lot of the work to your imagination. The unlockable achievements and costumes (which grant various stat increases) also add well to the overall game and gives a great sense of reward in return for mastering the tough gameplay. The standard game mode is challenging, but the hardcore mode truly lives up to it's name and is remorseless in it's punishment for failure. Well worth the money and a great addition to anyone's collection whether on PSP or PS3.
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