It is not uncommon for a game's critical appeal to far outweigh its selling power. Throughout the history of gaming there have been many cult hits that now go for ridiculous prices on the second hand market, EarthBound and the original Shantae being a couple of notorious examples. However, few games can boast the extreme rarity and universal acclaim of Ninja Cop. Widely touted as one of the best games in the GBA library, Ninja Cop (or Ninja Five-O as it's know in North America) has become an extremely sought-after collector's item since its release. And with good reason!
Ninja Cop is a side scrolling action game developed by Hudson Soft. You play as Joe Osugi, a specialist officer charged with taking down dangerous gangs that have been terrorising the neighbourhood. The start of the game sees you battling an assortment of fairly generic thugs, but soon you'll be up against some pretty bizarre foes (including a giant frog riding ninja).
The goal is to traverse each stage and locate the exit, defeating gang members and rescuing hostages along the way. Joe has a wide array of moves at his disposal, such as throwing stars, knife attacks and various special moves and power-ups, including a rather nifty laser gun. One feature that immediately stands out is the swinging mechanic, borrowed from Bionic Commando on the NES; using your trusty grappling hook, you must swoop around each stage. It's extremely good fun and immediately gives the game a different feel to similar side scrolling fare. The controls are highly responsive and very satisfying to master - after a while you'll be swinging, sliding and slashing your way through levels like a hot ninja through butter.
It's important to get to grips with all of these tools, as you're going to need every one of them. Enemies are pretty canny and will parry your attacks, hide behind crates, or even use a hostage as a human shield. Learning the best strategy to deal with each foe is key - run in all guns blazing and you won't last very long. Since enemies will only attack if you are in their direct line of sight the stealthy option is usually the best one. Health pick-ups are fairly scarce, too, so you're going to want to take out your adversaries as efficiently as possible. Collecting one of the weapon upgrades hidden throughout each stage will transform your humble Shuriken into a much more lethal fireball attack; two upgrades will nab you the aforementioned nifty laser beam. Taking damage causes your weapon to be downgraded again, so watch out! There's also a special meter which fills up with each kill. Maxing it out allows you to use a deadly special attack which obliterates every enemy on screen.
Levels are pretty non-linear, so you'll need to do some exploring - there are also several keys scattered across each stage that must be collected in order to progress. While there is a fair bit of backtracking involved, it never feels frustrating. Enemies don't re-spawn, for example, so most rooms are only tricky the first time around. The game pulls no punches, but it's more a test of patience than dexterity; success comes from learning the layout of each room and picking the most effective route. It's also wise to leave a few health pick-ups and upgrades behind in case they're needed later on.
All told the level design is very elegant, with a good balance of combat and platforming. Enemy placement is never unfair, and the non-linearity means you can choose when you want to tackle the more difficult segments.
The game consists of five missions in total, which take place in a variety of urban locations. Each mission is broken up into three stages with a boss fight at the end, where you must face off against one of the four nefarious ninja masters. These fights are a real highlight and mix up the action nicely; they're well thought out and can be quite challenging, especially if you haven't managed to carry over any power-ups from the previous level.
Thankfully lives are infinite, so you can take on each stage as many times as you like. The game also auto saves when a stage is completed, so you're never under too much pressure. One slightly irritating design choice is that your HP metre isn't fully replenished between stages, so if you finish with barely any health left the next section might be a bit of an uphill struggle.
Ninja Cop is quite short, and can be completed in 3 to 5 hours depending on your skill level, though there is a decent amount of replay value. There's a scoring system which ranks you on enemies killed, hostages rescued and so on. This gives a nice incentive for repeat runs; if high score chasing isn't your thing there's also a time trial mode. It's most certainly a fun game to blast through once in a while.
The graphics are serviceable, if a little bland. Scenery is detailed but fairly drab and - brilliant bosses aside - there's not a whole lot of creativity in the enemy design. This wouldn't be so bad if the main character wasn't so nondescript. The developers could have had a lot more fun with the idea of a ninja cop but instead went for something fairly generic. Without a unique protagonist the game does feel slightly lacking in identity, and this may have been one of the reasons it was overlooked by many on its initial release.
Conclusion
It's a shame Ninja Cop didn't receive a wider distribution as, minor gripes aside, it's a fantastic game with a well balanced difficulty curve and excellent level design - the unique blend of frantic rope swinging and clever combat still feels fresh today. If you're a fan of 16-bit action games or you're just looking for something cool to add to your GBA collection, Ninja Cop comes highly recommended.
Comments 49
The best part of these retro reviews is it gives me a reason to play old games that completely passed me by the first time around!
I had no idea this game existed and now I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.
@JHDK "Disclaimer: this is a retro review just because we felt like it, this game is not on the eShop..."
I once played this game for a few minutes and it seemed like fun, I may try to play again.
I still can't believe I had this in my hand when it was released over here and did not buy it, taking home a GameCube game instead. Could not have possibly imagined it would cost as much as it does nowadays. A true GBA gem.
Got two copies of this game from GameStop for $5 each. And some GameCube component cables. Don't hate me!
I'll have to go to the local used game store to see if I can find it. They have 3 drawers full of GBA games, maybe I'll be lucky and find it hidden away
@Julien very nice. I got a mint cart off eBay in a lot of 4 GBA games. Total was 4 bucks. I've yet to hear of someone finding a cheaper copy of Ninja Five-O than me
@Rogue76 good luck, most sellers know the value of this game.
Fantastic game. One of the luckiest GameStop experiences I had in acquiring it at a great price.
It's also a perfect illustration for why the eShop releases need to be wider in scope. Games like this, Sigma Star Saga and ZOE are the reason I still recommend people buy the Gamecube+Gameboy Player (component cables optional but worth it). There are so many truly awesome games that will probably never come to the eShop.
"Disclaimer: this is a retro review just because we felt like it, this game is not on the eShop..."
Annnnnnd I fell into the click trap. Might have to pick up a copy of it anyway
Time to get the good old GBA Magic Cart out.
@Captain_Gonru time to fire up the old emulator!
This is one of those rare cases of an obscure classic living up to the hype. It's no exaggeration at all to consider it one of the best titles the GBA has to offer.
@KIREEK Ah, Sigma Star Saga. If only WayForward had polished you a little bit more...
Never heard of it. The guy on the cover looks like a G.I. Joe character.
I may be one of a rare case but I didn't found this game as good as all critics claim. It's not bad by any means but it didn't felt like a masterpiece either.
When the GBA was going strong, I was at a point in life where I was better able to keep up with game news and not miss out on game releases due to ignorance. I got a lot of good games when they were new as a result. I came across some positive reviews of Ninja Five-O when it came out and I had the good sense to pick it up right away, I'm proud to say. I wish I kept the box for it, though. I kept a few boxes, but not that one. But I bought it to play. It's a great game. I wasn't disappointed with it at all when I got it. It lived up to all the praise for me. I last revisited the game this time one year ago. There are a few frustrating moments here and there related to the swinging element as I recall, but the game is a fair challenge. A nice 16-bit-style game from Hudson Soft.
Played it, but never finished it. One of the best games on GBA, in my TOP 5 along with Astro Boy, both Metroids, And Castlevania:Aria of Sorrow!
Time to try again to finish it on my modded original GBA with AGS-101 backlit screen
Great game. I will be selling mine soon, as I'm in need of funds for the Switch.
Wow, I've never heard of this one.
@Tempestryke Snake Eyes' cousin that works at Nintendo.
@Ryu_Niiyama
High-fives
Flipped my copy on eBay just last year. It came with box and instructions, so some lucky collector was happy. I had originally finished it and played it a bit again before listing it. It's a good game, but not THAT good, so no regrets. 9/10 is overrated, imho. I would rate it 7 or 8. This review is just going to bring the hype back up.
@Rontanamo_Bay Are you kidding?
@Damo Nope he's not. There are 2 copies currently listed on eBay, one at £290 and the other at £478! Indeed this is an ill conceived review of a game that is fundamentally unobtainable to any with more sense than money. Must be a slack day for news items at Nintendo life for this review to be given the green light.
@Miketeevee76 So let me get this straight. We can't cover interesting games because it might increase their value on the secondary market?
Ooooooooooooooooookay.
How dare NL review a Nintendo game. Really? This game has always been rare, God forbid it gets some attention. For those unaware, the value has actually been increasing these past few months after a year of decreasing. It was going up no matter what and NL reviewing it has very little to do with that.
It was also ran at GDQ, which was viewed by millions, should they be held responsible for bringing awareness to it as well?
@Rontanamo_Bay Plenty. Your assertion that we shouldn't cover great games on the site purely because it may increase their value on the secondary market is like telling a sports car website to ignore Ferraris just in case it makes them more desirable.
@AfterAnAutopsy Love GDQ, I watched that run when I was writing the review. Pretty incredible feat, it's not an easy game at all to play at speed.
@Diskach I'm with you on Astro Boy, it's a phenomenal game. I was considering doing a write up for that one too. Unfortunately it's probably even less likely to get an eshop re-release than ninja cop because of the license. Mores the pity.
@Rontanamo_Bay I feel your pain man. I've been trying to get hold of a copy of Faselei for the Neo Geo Pocket for an eternity, and I can only dream of owning Togepi's Great Adventure for Pokemon Mini (currently listed on ebay for €1,690.) Sadly retro gaming is an expensive hobby. My hope is that by giving games like Ninja Cop some exposure we might increase the chances of a re-release, or even a sequel somewhere down the line. Shantae for example, wouldn't have become the successful series it is today without the positive press coverage the first game received, both on its release and years after. Side note: is your username a parks and rec reference?
@kickerofelves first and foremost, great review. Ninja Five-O doesn't get enough attention due to its rarity. And yeah I love GDQ because the runners are all at the top of their game. Ninja Five-O is definitely not easy to run, but it's not easy to beat casually either
@AfterAnAutopsy Thanks a lot Never had a review published on NL before so I was to pleased to be given the opportunity.
@kickerofelves you did a great job for your first review I might just have to do a review of this for the site I write for haha
@AfterAnAutopsy definitely, spread the word. What site are you writing for I'll check it out.
@kickerofelves i do 3DS reviews for Christ Centered Gamer. I've been with them since March and it's a pretty nice environment even though I'm not a Christian. I'd recommend checking out my Shin Megami Tensei 4 Apocalypse review if you do check out the site my name is Benjamin Winter btw
@Rontanamo_Bay how selfish can you be? I mean really are you serious?
@Rontanamo_Bay Parks is amazing. In fact it's "chronicles of ridiculous"
@Rontanamo_Bay The Ferrari F40 isn't being produced anymore. Should car enthusiasts pretend this classic doesn't exist?
We've ALWAYS covered retro stuff on this site, literally since day one. Why would people not want to learn about games they've never heard of? Like @kickerofelves says, making more noise about this title will saw the current IP owner that there's interest and demand.
@Rontanamo_Bay you literally answered your own question. You're whining that only the few who are "in the know" should be allowed to read about this. That's selfish and you're letting your collector mentality get the better of you.
Guess no one should review Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Shantae, Haunting Grounds, Rule of Rose, Dokapon Kingdom, etc
@Rontanamo_Bay so why aren't you complaining about the Ninja Five-O speedrun that was viewed by millions? You're being selfish. It's always going to be rare no matter how many people know about it.
@Rontanamo_Bay I think it's worth pointing out the elephant in the room here: It is actually pretty easy to play the game, just not legally I saw a 21 game multi cart containing Ninja Cop on ebay once for like €20. And then of course there's emulation. Obviously I don't want to condone piracy here but the game is basically abandonware at this stage. If you buy a legit copy second hand the original devs won't receive any profit anyway.
@Rontanamo_Bay I'm really sorry if I came across as condescending in my replies, but there is nothing from your comments for me to "absorb; suggesting that a media outlet not cover something of merit purely because it is harder to get hold of than other products is not a logical argument.
And besides, there's always emulation. When a game such as this is impossible to obtain legally, emulating it is surely the best option?
Or perhaps we should just allow this gem of a game to be forgotten entirely?
I got lucky that I found an affordable copy a few years back, it really is a well-designed Ninja-action game.
@Rontanamo_Bay dude you sound like a whiny millennial. You're the only one here having an emotional breakdown over a review.
@Rontanamo_Bay
tell ya what...ive got 5 copies of this game. ill let one go for 100 is that better?
I have this game in box. It is a great game. Unfortunately my copy has no monetary value because I do not plan on selling it.
@Rontanamo_Bay & @Miketeevee76: You both are morons, and you both need to get over yourselves. Stop crying about @Damo reviewing a game you can't seem to afford. I paid $75 for a loose cart a few years ago and you don't see me crying about it.
@knightRider666. No need to get personal. It would seem you lhave made assumptions about me from my post. I've no problem with reviewing a game if it's relevant, if for example it was being rereleased on the Nintendo estore, but it wasn't. Plus it neglected to mention just how rare and expensive it was, casually suggesting it would be a "cool" addition to a collection. Plus, just for your information I do collect for certain retro systems and have paid £150 upwards for games, but no way would I ever stump up £450 for a gba game. Seriously?! Are you really trying to compare $75 dollars a couple of years ago to £450 now? That's pretty laughable.
@Miketeevee76: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ninja-Five-O-Ninja-Cop-Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-NDS-2003-Region-Free-/142165655788?hash=item2119bbc0ec:g:pjgAAOSw8gVX-nni
There. $50 for a cart that has been restored. And who cares? All @Damo was trying to do was review a really great game from the past. Your original complain has zero merit. Let it go.
@Miketeevee76 In all fairness I did make several references to the game's rarity in the opening paragraph. I'll admit I failed to mention the current market value of the cart, but since it fluctuates so much I didn't think that information would have been particularly useful (more fool me.)
I'm sorry that you've had so much difficulty getting hold of the game, I know how frustrating that can be. You're in the right place though, 2 people in this very comment section have expressed an interest in selling a copy, have you contacted them?
While I'm slightly bewildered at the controversy this review has caused, I'm delighted that so many people here seem to genuinely care about the game.
@kickerofelves thanks for the reply comment, in hindsight I feel I was probably unduly harsh in my first comment. Emotions overtook I was initially disappointed because I thought perhaps it was a rerelease on the eshop.
I haven't seen the offers selling copies, I will take a look. Yes I agree it does seem to have escalated somewhat, in my defence I only responded again as I felt the comment I received yesterday was somewhat of a personal slight. Discussion and disagreement I can accept personal insults I won't.
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