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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Nightshade continues the ninja saga Feb 22, 2004
By Brendan T Doran
The reason for the two star rating is because although it was a great game with a good storyline most people would wind up pulling there hair out playing this. The bosses are very hard, The camra angles are not good at all, and there is to much jumping involved. 2 parts of a level involved jumping while avoiding waterfalls that could knock you down and enemies shooting at you from all sides with a small wall to cling to unless you are a master at this this will drive you insane.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Fun, but extremely difficult Aug 08, 2005
By Kazami
"Ami"
I just bought Nightshade for the PS2, and it's a good game, but extremely difficult. The levels start off very easy, but they turn hard VERY quickly. More off the time I find myself with game overs not because the enemies have killed me, but because Hibana will target something obscure; causing me to fall down a bottomless pit or into the water e.t.c. I won the game in beginner mode, and that was a challenge within itself. I can't even pass stage 4 in easy due to the fact the controls are VERY difficult and fickle (you can only stealth dash one time when you're in mid-air... I hate this because it takes more than one stealth dash to reach the enemies sometimes. They should have an option so you can use beginner controls in any mode not just beginner). To sum it up, if you're looking for a good challenge and are willing to become a little annoyed, buy this game. If not, stay away from it.
K@zami Am!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Action Fans Rejoice!! Feb 26, 2004
By Shanghaied
Nightshade is a good follow up to the PS2 shinobi. The controls transfer almost completely intact save improved charge attacks (for some characters), no sword timer (not really an improvement, one character *might* still have such a timer), the addition of a kick button and several new moves that go with it, and a chakra gauge (again, for some characters only). Despite these changes, Nightshade offers up the same tate-ing type gravity defying action that will keep your thumbs blistered and your reflexes at the very tip of human capability. The game also improves strongly on level design in several ways and varies from improved backgrounds to slightly less frusturating jumping puzzles to simply things such as where enemies are placed throughout the level. In some places, air-tate-ing enemies offers a faster route through for the skilled player, for example. Furthermore, every level has several checkpoints that you can continue from, making it easier to progress piecemeal through a level rather than being required to perform flawlessly. For the most part the platforming "pitfall" style action is toned down considerably in the first part of the game, though "cheap" deaths will occur by the dozen in some of the later stages. Boss battles are considerably less challenging than they were in Shinobi (particularly in the easier difficulties) simply because the new charge or "chakra" attacks allow you to Tate bosses with utter ease (chakra attacks are performed by simply holding down the attack button and releasing after a short charge). The chakra attack allows you to land the devastating final blow in a tate attack while being a considerable distance away from the opponent, making it very easy to make that final hit. Character design is also well done. The new Kuinichi, Hibana, sports a costume that is sleek and futuristic while respectful of Joe Mugashi's oldschool Red on White look from the classic Genesis Shinobi titles. Her moves are sleek and her overall game-presence is almost as daunting as Hotsuma's was in Shinobi (almost). Unfortuanately, if you tally story and dialogue in the total score of this game (which I have only done for the general public, such things don't really matter in a game like this), it would likely come out with a few problems. Hibana's dialogue can be particularly annoying and redundant at times, which is a pity considering the voice acting is quite good. She seems much more disjointed from the affair than Hotsuma was in Shinobi. The story is pretty much recycled from Shinobi and centers around Akujiki again, so don't look for any grand surprises. The themes of Revenge, chivalry, and justice do serve the game well as they did in Shinobi. Also, the absence of the dreaded sword timer (many people hated it), for better or for worse, definetely has had an effect on gameplay. There is no longer a direct need to Tate (survival), you simply do it for the highest score or for finesse. While this is fine in itself, it's less likely that finesse will prompt you to go for that challenging air tate on the final stage than the fact that you have little heath and are about to run out on your sword timer. I feel the absence of the sword timer reduces the sense of urgency throughout the game which directly impacts how some of the levels are played and thus how challenging some of those levels are, which of course, depending on personal preference, is for better or for worse. (As mentioned, some characters still have such a timer....) And like Shinobi, this game is HARD (notice the caps). For some that will be a very good thing, to those who lack discipline, well, perhaps not. It still has a tinge of oldschool gameplay via luck and simple but clear purpose, to annihilate your foes in a very straightforward fashion. The music consists largely of a Techno/Rhythmic-like score. Opinions vary as to whether it's better than Shinobi's though it's definetely different and seems to fit the game's pace better. Overall, there's a lot in this game to love. It doesn't really do anything revolutionary, but the top-notch gameplay and character design are simply to die for. An excellent follow-up (I won't say sequel) to Shinobi in almost every regard, it plays every bit as well and in some ways even better.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Not the best, but better than Shinobi Jun 24, 2004
By Warren King
"psycho-g"
Nightshade is not a game to be taken lightly. The first few levels may seem easy, but it gets quite frustrating towards the end. The number of cheap deaths you accumulate by falls can get staggering if you aren't paying attention to where you're jumping and which enemies you're killing in order to stay airborne. Herein lies both a strength and weakness to Nightshade. The aerial combat is a great idea and is visually impressive when properly executed, but to force the player to rely on it in order to pass certain areas will most definitely turn off many gamers. Other weak points are the lack of a Japanese language option and the poorly written dialogue. Hibana's catch-phrases at the end of a completed Tate gets real tiring, real fast. Still, the game's not all bad. The animation is crisp and fluid and Hibana's scarf is not as exaggerated as Hotsuma's was in Shinobi. Speaking of which, Hotsuma is an unlockable character in the game along with Hisui (a rival ninja) and Joe Musashi, the original Shinobi hero. There are also multiple costume options for Hibana and Hisui, my favorites being Hibana's scandalous second costume (you have to see it to believe it) and Hisui's cute second costume which is reminiscent of something out of Jet Set Radio Future. Despite the nicks in its blade, Nightshade should be given a chance by those disappointed with Shinobi.
Almost all of the game is great Apr 23, 2008
By James
The first stage of this game where you are fighting on the aircraft against the cyborg ninja is horrible. Miraculously, from the second stage on, the graphics look great, the music is great, the maps and enemies are more interesting, and the game is just more fun in general. Did a different team create the first level?
That aside, Nightshade is an action/adventure game similar in control to the PS2 Shinobi. The difficulty is not as high as in Shinobi at the default setting, but this can be increased or decreased in the options. If you want to evaluate this title, I recommend a play through of at least the first 2 levels to see what this game is really all about. I found the aerial maneuvering, special moves, and controls to be very good; at least as good if not better than Shinobi.
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