Ninja Spirit vs. Shinobi 3 - An 8 year old's opinion :)

[FraGMarE]

So, today, I decided to get my 8 year old son's opinion on a couple games that are widely considered great ninja themed platformers... Ninja Spirit (TG16 version) and Shinobi 3 (Genesis).  He's never played either game before and I told him nothing about either game before he played them, so his opinion is not clouded by nostalgia or prejudice toward any particular console.

His verdict?  He thought both games were "really cool", but he liked Ninja Spirit better.  I asked him why, and his response was quite telling.  He said he liked how you started off with a "bunch of awesome weapons" in Ninja Spirit, and also how you could "jump super high".  He also said he liked how Ninja Spirit had "lots of guys trying to kill you".  He did like Shinobi's "ninja magic" and wished they had put something similar in Ninja Spirit, but preferred Ninja Spirit overall.

On a side note, I also had him play Ninja Gaiden for the NES... he said it was fun, but the graphics were "kinda crappy" and it was "too hard and annoying".  Hahaha

So there you go.  An 8 year old's unclouded opinion on Ninja Spirit, Shinobi 3 and Ninja Gaiden. 

[CGQuarterly]

It's actually really interesting to see a kid's opinion on these games, since his take isn't clouded by hype and is therefore truly subjective.  Most kids my age back in the day would have said that Ninja Gaiden was awesome.

[bob]

Oh no!   

 

[FraGMarE]

Next, I think I'm going to have to him try Rondo of Blood and Super Castlevania IV back-to-back and see what his opinion is.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

I should make a Youtube series out of this hahaha

[PukeSter]

I would say Shinobi III is better, but Stage 6-1 is impossible and pointless.

I'd say Ninja Spirit then. Has better music and colors at least, but doesn't feel much like a Ninja game.

[CGQuarterly]

I should make a Youtube series out of this hahaha

That had actually occurred to me.  Properly done, I think it would be pretty cool.

[hoobs88]

On a side note, I also had him play Ninja Gaiden for the NES... he said it was fun, but the graphics were "kinda crappy" and it was "too hard and annoying".  Hahaha

You didn't have the PCE version of Ninja Gaiden?

[Ayce]

Next, I think I'm going to have to him try Rondo of Blood and Super Castlevania IV back-to-back and see what his opinion is.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

I should make a Youtube series out of this hahaha

See that is just an unfair comparison. Man after playing through Dracula X I have been ruined on Castlevania 4. I also tried to play the SNES Dracula X and I could hardly stand playing though one stage, the play mechanics just felt off.

[Joe Redifer]

Shinobi (arcade), Revenge of Shinobi, Shadow Dancer (Genesis) and Shinobi 3 walk all over buzzy ol' Ninja Spirit. Why do I call it "buzzy"? Because the music sounds like it is composed of primitive buzzing sounds.

[VenomMacbeth]

I hate to say but I do feel that Shinobi 3 is the superior experience.  Ninja Spirit is an excellent game, but it still retains Irem's signature arcade feel, whereas Shinobi 3's set pieces/level designs and frequent boss/mini boss fights give it the feeling of a much more fleshed out game.  Despite the life meter, there are still many cheap deaths to be had, giving it a similar arcade feel.  Overall, in my opinion, Ninja Spirit is the best ninja arcade game, whereas Shinobi 3 is the best ninja action game, period.

[FraGMarE]

Shinobi (arcade), Revenge of Shinobi, Shadow Dancer (Genesis) and Shinobi 3 walk all over buzzy ol' Ninja Spirit. Why do I call it "buzzy"? Because the music sounds like it is composed of primitive buzzing sounds.

Walks all over?  Joe, this is the post the prosecutor will refer back to when the court forces you to enter drug rehab...

I hate to say but I do feel that Shinobi 3 is the superior experience.  Ninja Spirit is an excellent game, but it still retains Irem's signature arcade feel, whereas Shinobi 3's set pieces/level designs and frequent boss/mini boss fights give it the feeling of a much more fleshed out game.  Despite the life meter, there are still many cheap deaths to be had, giving it a similar arcade feel.  Overall, in my opinion, Ninja Spirit is the best ninja arcade game, whereas Shinobi 3 is the best ninja action game, period.

People usually like one and love the other, so I'm not surprised that you have a preference for Shinobi 3 over Ninja Spirit.  Personally, I like them about roughly the same, as games, but I like the overall format of Ninja Spirit a bit better so I give the edge to Ninja Spirit.  It almost feels like Contra - Feudal Japan Corps.  Which, to me, is a good thing.  Both games have beautiful graphics, nice music (Joe Redifer is on meth), and brilliant gameplay.  I just like Ninja Spirit ever so slightly more due to the fundamentals of its gameplay mechanics.

I just find it interesting that an 8 year old kid, with no exposure to any of the above, also picked Ninja Spirit.

BTW, I had him try Rondo and then play Castlevania IV.   The giant rock men on lv1 of Rondo and the wyvern boss were giving him fits, then he seemingly breezes right through CV4's first level and beats the horse stable boss.  He picked Rondo because, "It's really hard, and I like games that are hard and frustrating but not annoying." 

I also had him try Mercs (Genesis) and Bloody Wolf, back-to-back.  He said "both are cool" but he liked Mercs better because it had a "wavy flamethrower" and "more vehicles".  Then he tells me with all the parachuting guys in Bloody Wolf and how the bad guys twirl off into the distance when blown up, they should have made the music 'It's Raining Men'.... BAHAHAHA

[VenomMacbeth]

Hmm...never thought about it like that, but you're right, the gameplay is quite Contra-esque.  One thing I will say in Ninja Spirit's favor is that it definitely captures that mystical medieval Japanese atmosphere in a way far superior to Shinobi 3.  Either way, no matter which you prefer, they're two of the best games for their respective console's so you'd be doing yourself a disservice not giving both at least one playthrough.

And dude, that kid is hilarious...and oddly astute with his retro gaming.  Maybe have him try Gradius, R-Type, and Darius Plus on the PCE & see which he prefers.

[Ayce]

Yes, but I don't think that Sega was trying to go with the feudal era... all of the Shinobi games are set in modern times. Except Cyber Shinobi where as that was set in the future.

[NecroPhile]

Sounds like fragmare is raising a good lil OBEYer.  Yippee, you won't have to disown him!

[esteban]

I thoroughly approve this thread.

I have been playing lots of video games with my daughter (10 years old) and hearing her perspective is really interesting.

Some of her favorite games have been really surprising (she thought Splatterhouse was twisted, but she kept wanting to play it to get further).

She really liked Gauntlet and Dungeon Explorer.

I should make a Youtube series out of this hahaha

That had actually occurred to me.  Properly done, I think it would be pretty cool.

I concur.

[VenomMacbeth]

I can't wait til my little dude is old enough to form opinions about games, though so far he seems to thoroughly enjoy rotting his brain out to Darius Gaiden and Thunder Force IV.

[sosoyo180]

As loyal as I am to the Turbo, Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master takes the cake for me... And I don't have a nostalgic bias so that's straight subjective...

Still both solid games tho

[pulstar]

It's pretty hard for me to be objective about Shinobi 3...it's one of my favourite Megadrive games. Ninja Spirit is good and is a game I loved as a kid (not PCE, but the Amiga version), but to me (with a lot of nostalgia added) Shinobi 3 wins. It just feels like a more refined game than Ninja Spirit.

[seieienbu]

I'd love to see more comparisons like this.  Possibly something like Ys vs Zelda 3?  Gate of Thunder vs Gradius 3 vs Thunder Force?  Popful Mail comparison?  There are a million options!

[FraGMarE]

It just feels like a more refined game than Ninja Spirit.

Shinobi III totally *is* a more refined game than Ninja Spirit.  More complex too.  It's got tons of lovely control mechanics that are fun to use.  The double jump + shuriken shower, the air kick, the double tap run, the ninjitsu magic.  Not to mention carefully placed enemies and tricky level design.  Ninja Spirit has none of those things... because it doesn't need them.  Ninja Spirit just isn't that kind of game.  Ninja Spirit is all about wave after wave of enemy ninjas swarming you, picking the right weapon for the right part of the game, timing your jumps and movements just right, and clearing a path through the madness so you can get a crack at the boss.  Ninja Spirit is, for all intents and purposes, a run-n-gun sidescroller masquerading as a ninja themed platformer.  And it pulls it off perfectly.  Shinobi 3 is the culmination of an entire series.  Sega had 3 previous games to experiment, hone and perfect their formula.  Ninja Spirit, however, is one of a kind.  I think the whole debate between Shinobi 3 and Ninja Spirit is really a debate over which genre of game you like better... action platformer or run-n-gun sidescroller.  For me, the answer is easy... I'll take stuff like Contra, Ninja Spirit, and Gunstar Heroes over Shinobi any day of the week.  Apparently my son will too lol 

[pulstar]

I think the whole debate between Shinobi 3 and Ninja Spirit is really a debate over which genre of game you like better... action platformer or run-n-gun sidescroller.  For me, the answer is easy... I'll take stuff like Contra, Ninja Spirit, and Gunstar Heroes over Shinobi any day of the week.  Apparently my son will too lol 

This is true. But when I said more refined, I mean in the scope of its own game, not as in they are in the same genre and this one has better play mechanics than the other etc. I mean the game feels polished to a much finer degree than Ninja Spirit...but I think time of release has a lot to do with that as well, with more competition and harvesting ideas from other games etc.

If you like games like Ninja Spirit more than Shinobi and your son does too does that mean it is something inherited Which means this isn't objective at all, it's all in the genes, he has to like it by his very nature

[reno5]

i like Shinobi 3 and still have to play a bit more of Ninja Spirit.

So for now i would have to go with Shinobi 3 but i promess to give more time to Ninja Spirit !