Sunday 9 May 2010

100-Word Reviews: Kororinpa and Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi



Copies of this four year old Wii game take up a whole shelf at my local Blockbuster. I’m guessing that’s because it was a popular renting title - which makes sense, as it’s a thoroughly entertaining game that only takes two or three dedicated evenings to complete. Think of a colourful, increasingly complex, virtual version of a marble-rolling maze game; you tip the Wiimote this way and that in order to tip the whole gaming world this way and that, causing the marble (or watermelon, or football, or sphereised penguin/panda/kitten) to roll. Surprisingly addictive, compelling, tricky and inventive.

Additional notes:
£10 in Blockbuster! Probably cheap as chips on ebay. Only for Wii.



Shadow Dancer was the third Shinobi game to be released on the Mega Drive, bizarrely preceding Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master by three years. Originally an arcade game, it puts you in the role of a shuriken-happy ninja (his name varies between versions) trying to thwart a terrorist plot by rescuing hostages and defeating a variety of enemies (as you do). The key feature that distinguishes it from other Shinobi titles is your white dog, who can be commanded to maul enemies, setting up a diverse range of tactics. This alone makes it worth a quick blast.

Additional notes:
£5.60 on Wii's Virtual Console (800 points). If you have an old Mega Drive, you can get it for roughly the same amount on ebay, give or take a couple of quid.

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