At this years Tokyo Game show, Sega allowed for hands on previews of a huge number of titles for the Nintendo 3DS. One of the best games over at the Sega booth was Shinobi 3D. Shinobi 3D takes Sega’s ninja themed franchise into the third dimension, but also integrates some stunning 2D animations that contrast to the 3D game play. At first I was concerned about the lack of 3D, on a title made for a device that specially pushes 3D technology, but seeing as they are just cut scenes, it works really well to set up the story of the game before allowing you the chance to perform stealthy ninja attacks.
I only had the chance to play through two levels, the first being a 2D based ninja platform level. Enemies litter the streets and you need to cross a number of obstacles before reaching your goal. There is a really high number of attacks you can perform, my favourite being the ability to launch a barrage of ninja stars mid air.
The second level was a break from this style of game play, and features your ninja avatar riding a horse. Enemies ride along side you, and can be cut down with a slash from his sword. There are also a number of coins to collect along the way, and the path is filled with trees which need to be dodged or jump to make it safely.
Overall, the game play was pretty responsive and complex but really easy to pick up. The different types of levels could prove to be a bonus by breaking up game play into different styles, with both level types being great fun to play. The graphics are amazing, and 2D animated cut scenes are highly detailed and impressive. In fact, all of the Sega games have utilised the 3D technology very well. Shinobi 3D will be released for the Nintendo 3DS on the 17th of November 2011.
