Shadow Warriors
| Developer: Teque Software | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Ocean | Sound: |
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| Year: 1990 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Action | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 2 simultaneous | Rating: |
5/10 | |
I’ll ask you to pay attention. This title, of rare inventiveness, should not be confused with Shadow Warrior, nor with Shadow Fighter, nor with Ninja Warriors (or the television programme of the same name), nor indeed with Master Ninja: Shadow Warrior of Death… I’ll spare you the homonyms.
However… And this is where you can start massaging your temples, you have permission to use one of its original appellations: Ninja Ryūkenden, or Ninja Gaiden in the United States. The term “ninja” was sometimes censored in Europe so as not to corrupt the youth, which is why the Teenage Ninja Turtles became Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, but that’s another story…
Ninja Gaiden is also the name of the NES version (1988), extensively reworked, and I think, much better known than the original arcade version. It’s an interesting example of an adaptation that eclipsed its model, to the point of spawning its own lineage. Incidentally, if you’ve come across a certain Ninja Gaiden 2 on Amiga, you should know that it’s the port of the second episode from Nintendo’s console. You won’t believe it, it’s very poor…
But let’s return to Shadow Warriors (arcade, 1988), it’s a deliciously kitsch street fighting game, a pure product of the ’80s. The atmosphere reminded me of a curious mixture of Fist of the North Star, Friday the 13th and Mad Max, even though the most direct reference goes to the wrestler duo The Road Warriors (alias Legion of Doom). The game pushes the homage to the point of borrowing their entrance music: Iron Man by Black Sabbath. In the background, detailed environments take you through several emblematic major cities of the United States (Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas…). I would suggest completing your tourist circuit with The Godfather (but not without a trainer).
In terms of mechanics, we should particularly note the possibility of interacting with set elements: destroying street furniture, swinging from lampposts, crossing a road whilst trying to avoid cars, taking a dip in the river… You can also throw your enemies, jump into certain parts of the background, and from time to time (thanks to a bonus), you can decide to draw that sword you’ve been carrying on your back since the beginning.
As often, favour the arcade version on emulator, if only to dispense with the single-button joystick, ill suited to this type of game. That said, the Amiga adaptation gets on very well. The intro music is brilliant, the display occupies the entire screen (not really the norm), and the essential elements found in the original have been preserved, including the intro scene (they extended the tracking shot on the blade, giving the impression that the sword measures ten metres). Despite understandable slowdowns, I counted up to seven chaps present on screen at the same time, in addition to the two players (zero birds, if you’re wondering). One flaw, though: for a reason that escapes me, in two-player mode, the time limit is consumed three times faster.
The problem is therefore not the Amiga conversion, for once. I simply don’t like this game. Too few different enemies, too little variety. I stopped where I took the fourth screenshot, which represents the limit I’m capable of enduring… If you’re looking for something better in the same style, try Final Fight (arcade, 1989), Streets of Rage (Sega Genesis, 1991) or Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (arcade, 1993) instead.
As indicated above, its NES “adaptation” has very little to do with the original any more. It’s an action/platform game known for its extreme difficulty, its fast pace and its enemies that constantly reappear. A bit like Mega Man, but with hand-to-hand combat. This is obviously not the only example of a console game that has emancipated itself from its arcade counterpart, with varying degrees of success. Isn’t that right, Strider (NES, 1989)?
On Amiga, press “S” to choose the music instead of the poor sound effects, then “1” or “2” to start.
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