Back in the early 1980s, ninjas were as popular as Michael Jackson or Pop Rocks and you would easily find these masters of the ancient martial arts in everything from movies to video games.   While you’d still find a ninja or two in games like the Dead or Alive series and the recent incarnation of the old-school classic Shinobi, it’s good to see a ninja unleashing his own brand of justice on the Game Boy Advance in Konami’s Ninja Five-O.  Is this game good enough to get gamers excited about ninjas again?  Let’s just say that if you judge this game by the cover, you’ll miss out on a pretty cool game.

The title itself brings to mind those made-for-cable movies nobody really watches, as does the game’s story.  You play Joe Osugi, a trained ninja warrior who also just happens to be a detective and a man that follows the true honorable code of his ancient art while upholding his principles as a cop.  He soon discovers that a new terrorist group calling itself the Mad Masks is led by ninja masters that have fallen over to the “dark side” and are using the ancient arts of the ninja for criminal purposes.  Donning your ninja outfit, you set out to stop this group once and for all.

For those gamers that remember the old ninja games of yesteryear, you’ll immediately feel the influence these games have on Ninja Five-O gameplay mechanics.  Instead of packing modern weapons, you fight using the usual ninja armaments such as a sword and some trusty shuriken-throwing stars.  Yet the most useful addition (and might I add downright super sweet) is Joe’s Kaginawa Wire grappling hook that literally has him swinging like a certain web-slinger or have him use it to lower himself quietly down on some unsuspecting foes.  Not only is this feature a highlight, but it’s put to good use throughout the game much in the same way as the grappling arm was used in the old NES action game Bionic Commando.

The controls are done right and this is quite a blessing since you’ll do quite a lot of fighting.  You’ll mostly be up against a crew of armed thugs, many of who has a firm hold on hostages you have to save.  While you’ll have to put up with these gun totting (and often dynamite throwing) enemies, Joe encounters his fare share of ninja assassins.  There are a just a few attacks you can perform when fighting these enemies and often times you’ll be using your sword more often than your throwing stars.  Thankfully there’s a Ninjutsu Gauge you can fill up (by collecting power-ups shaped like a blue lightning bolt) to unleash a Super Ninjutsu attack the literally wipes out every bad guy in the room.

Aside from the story mode, the game includes a Time Trial game mode that has you racing through the levels found on the story mode before the timer runs out.  While the game is big on action and fun, this game is not without its flaws.  In this case, the game’s biggest fault is directed at the difficulty level that is occasionally unfairly hard even in the Easy setting.  Many gamers will be quite frustrated with the game’s difficulty, but I don’t see that it will cause gamers to give up altogether. 

Ninja Five-O’s graphics are also quite decent, although the game is not really big on environmental details or piles on the special effects.  You’ll find, though, that it’s adequate enough since the levels are detailed enough that you can clearly make things out in the middle of a heated battle.  The biggest effect the game features is when you unleash the Super Ninjutsu attack that practically flashes across the screen.  You’ll also encounter some pretty colorful foes and nothing is cooler than seeing Joe swinging up a platform with his grappling tool.

Sound-wise, the game features a pretty lively action theme that doesn’t really change throughout the game.  Although an Asian-flavored theme would have been cool, you’re treated to a rocking tune that, oddly enough, does fit the game.  What does make up for the lack of variation in the soundtrack department is the sound effects that are actually pretty darn good.  Gunfire has an echoing sound and foes cry out when you slice them up, but there are plenty of environmental sounds found throughout the game that fit the location.

Ignore the awful box art and terrible title, Ninja Five-O is a surprisingly excellent GBA game with plenty of lengthy levels and ninja action that will bring to mind those great classic platform games of the old days.  While the extremely hard difficulty level might frustrate impatient gamers, those who love a good challenge won’t mind it.  If games like Shinobi or Ninja Gaiden where your favorites in the arcades back in the day, then this one is sure to please in every way.  

Gameplay: 9.0
Aside from the plentiful levels and variety of creative missions, Ninja Five-O also manages to get the controls right.  There aren’t a lot of different attacks available to you, but there is enough power up items that give the character an edge.  A better list of weapons would have been greatly appreciated, but the grapple hook feature alone makes up for things since you can pretty much use it anyway you want--except for using it as a weapon Bionic Commando-style.  Still, it’s great to find a game where it’s easy to climb walls while tossing shuriken-throwing stars.

It’s also fun taking on the various kinds of enemies you’ll encounter . . . from the gun-toting goons to the Mad Mask elders and their assortment of ninja disciples.   There are also boss fights at the end of each level, all with their own unique fighting styles.  There’s even a Time Trial game mode that ups the challenge even more.  This is some pretty great stuff.

Graphics: 7.0
While the game doesn’t come close to the GBA Splinter Cell’s visuals in terms of detailed graphics, this game is actually pretty decent looking.  There are levels that give you a good view of the city skyline and each location, most notable the airport and the bank, looks the way it’s suppose to look.  The game is filled with neatly rendered characters, though, especially the various bosses.  As far as special effects go, there aren’t enough as there should be . . . like the Super Ninjutsu attack. 

Sound: 7.2
Many GBA types have featured some pretty great soundtracks, especially those games that feature different tunes scattered throughout the levels.  Unfortunately, Ninja Five-O doesn’t join these games since it basically just features that one tune.  Lucky for us, though, the sound effects do make up of it--sort of.  You’ll hear police sirens zip past while rescuing hostages in the bank and the neat arcade-like sound of your sword as it slices into a bad guy.  Gunshots and explosions also sound pretty great here.

Difficulty: Hard
One of the biggest gripes gamers will surely have is that the difficulty level, even in the Normal setting, is both brutal and unforgiving.  Health items, you’ll find, are not very easy to find and so you’ll be going through a level making sure you save a health item for when you really need it most.  Part of the game’s difficulty comes in how many enemies attack you at once to the damage an enemy can inflict on you with a single bullet or stab.  Sometimes you’ll encounter a ninja foe that just slices through you before you can even get the chance to jump out of his way.  Yes, this game is tough but it’s nothing a few dozen tries won’t fix.

Concept: 8.0
Gone is the ninja fanfare of yesteryear, but with games like the PS2’s Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven or the upcoming Ninja Gaiden game for the Xbox, these masters of the stealthy kill are still cool enough to keep a gamer interested.  This game pays homage to the classic ninja games that most of us have fallen in love with a long while ago and it does a great job of showcasing all the things that made them instant classics.  Throw in a few elements from other classic action games and you get a game that’s worthy of the GBA.

Overall: 8.5
One of the most surprisingly action-packed titles to come along on the GBA this year, this game won’t fail to entertain.  Ninja Five-O is one of those games you never expected would hook you right in to the very last mission and, while there are a few problems here and there, it won’t stop gamers from really enjoying this neat ninja caper.  Do yourself the favor of investing your hard-earned cash on this one, GBA action gamers; this one is good enough to join your gaming library.