Games for Lunch: I-Ninja

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0:20 The sentinels will "teleport you to whence you were at. Does that make sense?" Sure, sensei. Whatever you say.

0:22 Taking out the sentinels with my sword is a non-starter -- looks like it's Ninja Stealth time. Luckily, there are carefully placed wall jump and run locations to allow me to pass over them unseen. E-Z!

0:25 My supercharged ninja berserker starts with an impressive animation, but the attacks seem depressingly familiar. Bleh.

0:27 Just when I start worrying about repetition of these generic grey enemy ninjas, the game sends a FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON ROBOT at me. Awesome!

0:28 I find myself wishing my Ninja could run just a little faster. He's not exactly slow-paced, but he's not exactly fast.

0:29 The robot heart is another sphere-shaped thing that requires a rolling mini-game. This time I'm dodging lasers and navigating narrow ledges.

0:34 Being forced to slow down my rolling for narrow and/or moving platforms saps some of the fun from this section, but not all of it. What can I say? I have a soft spot for games where you roll stuff. Mission two is complete.

0:35 My ninja has excellent form on the butterfly stroke. More as it develops.

0:36 "Stay here and try not to die again," says Mr. Ninja. Pretty callous as, again, YOU WERE THE ONE THAT KILLED HIM!

0:39 The simple, square x 4 combos that are enough to take out most of these generic grey guys are getting a little repetitive, but it's so much fun to control, it's hard to care. Reminds me of how I felt playing Devil May Cry 3.

0:41 The level design is beginning to show some much-needed life with a simple laser-jumping puzzle. A tad generic, but it breaks up the monotony.

0:44 It's ball-rolling time yet again, this time with extendo-platforms on an undulating skywalk. Simple, but still fun! "Maximum respect, ninja. You have earned your yellow belt."

0:47 Now that I'm a yellow belt, it's boss time. I take control of the somewhat-repaired governor giant robot for the fight with Kyza. Elevator music accompanies his power-up sequence, for some reason.

0:50 "Welcome to the Tekatron Robo-Fighter." I've got a first-person view out from my seat in the robot's head. Dodging with the control stick, punching with the buttons, plus a charged-up laser attack! It's like Punch-Out!!, but with robots and a laser!

0:53 The evil Kyza doesn't put up much of at fight at first, but then he comes back with his fists swinging. I'm getting pummeled here; it requires very quick reflexes. The cracks in my viewscreen are a nice visual touch.

0:55 Eventually I learn to watch the guidance arrows instead of Kyza himself. This makes dodging a lot easier, and I get in some hits of my own.

0:56 Of course, just as I say that, the arrows go away. A "defense system malfunction" is the excuse. I somehow soldier on for a KO.

0:57 Kyza sits at the bottom of the ocean. The Ninja dives down and collects the rage stone. He jumps out of the water at super-speed and kidnaps a professor that happens to be standing around. The Ninja basically threatens the prof until he reluctantly points him to his friend that has a similar stone. This story is practically incoherent.