Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe's guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo's download service. Written by Sam C Gittins.

Ninjas! I agree that there is certainly something superficially awesome about them and apparently so does Nintendo as this week we have two Ninja titles, one previously unreleased outside Japan and one an from an alternate territory; anyway enough from me and on with the games!

Available for download this week we have...

• Ninja Gaiden
• Ninja JaJaMaru-kun
• World Class Baseball

Points: 600
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Tecmo
Released: 1989
System: NES

Following the vengeance fueled quest of Ninja Ryu Hayabusa who goes on a journey to take out the leaders of a gang who killed his father and are now trying to obtain the all powerful Dragon Sword which was transported to America by Ryu as his fathers last request. They wish to obtain this sword as it's thought to contain the secret to reviving the demon that the group worship; understandably Ryu isn't happy about this hence his aforementioned mission of deadly Ninja assassination begins.

This is considered by many to be one of the very first decent games to depict Ninja's and a style of play which works well with the theme. Plenty of Ninja-like titles have been and gone over the years but Ninja Gaiden not only proves itself as the first game of it's kind to provide a solid stealth experience but in many ways it also set the standard for nearly every other title considered to be similar in vein to ever since.

As a series over the years it has set many benchmarks in it's increasingly impressive and intricate incarnations but what exactly makes the original game groundbreaking? First and foremost from the moment you take control you actually "feel" like you are in control; this is an innovation in itself for it's time as it was the first game of it's kind to offer such an unparalleled and precise level of control which most importantly holds the game together and makes it truly believable as when playing Ninja Gaiden you "are" the Ninja.

In similar style to Sega's Shinobi the game is split into six sections which are divided into a total of twenty sub-sections as you work your way through such places as Galesburg, Death Valley, Yomi's Valley as you journey toward your ultimate goal of the secret hideout in the Temple of Darkness where your enemy resides. As the story unfolds after each major level it is moved forward through well placed cut-scenes which serve their purpose in addition to being something of a rarity for games at it's time of release.

It may not have aged well visually overall but it comes across in leaps and bounds in it's suitably epic audio score which complements the game exceptionally well. Also now infamous for it's difficulty this is a challenging title indeed, sometimes the the point of frustration but with unlimited continues it's well worth persevering with; If you enjoy Ninja themed titles, platform games or even if you just want a challenging experience, Ninja Gaiden is most definitely worth purchasing.

Verdict: Awesome game is awesome.

Points: 600
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Jaleco
Released: 1985
System: NES

Here we have a Ninja game of a very different variety, an odd title, featuring an odd character oddly called Ninja JaJaMaru-kun meaning "stubborn round little ninja" by all accounts this game is indeed overwhlemingly odd. Actually a sequel to the equally obscure Ninja-kun this follow-up seems to retain many core elements from the original except with main difference being the orientation in which it is played which in this case is horizontally instead of vertically.

Playing as the titular character which I won't repeat to avoid tedious repetition you have to rescue a princess from an evil lord, yes the lead character loves the princess and so he sets off on a scrolling quest to save her. While the plot doesn't do anything but perpetuate an overused narrative that has become so popular over the years that it's almost self parody; the way the game plays is both simple, familiar but also fun to a point.

You work your way across scrolling stages which have four floors to fight across, enemies tend to have simplistic attack patterns like the ghosts on the first few levels which seldom attack and have shots which can be countered if you throw one of your Ninja stars at the same time. It does get incredibly difficult as the game progresses though and this is both it's forte and downfall.

Typically items consist of balls which increase your speed for a limited time, scrolls bestowing bonus points and even extra lives! Ok so nothing groundbreaking there either and indeed nothing even especially original throughout the stages which throws boss characters at you every three stages and even tougher enemies which were previously bosses until their defeat, oh joy.

Needless to say but I'm going to say it anyway, this game is for anyone who wants a challenge as this contains nothing new apart from it's crazy characters and the brief but entertaining experience it provides. Looped lackluster music, sparse visuals and a repeating structure means that you will most likely just play this game until you get bored of it, for some this will be one sitting, for others maybe weeks or longer, another curiosity conjured up from the far east.

Verdict: Odd game is odd.

Points: 600
Publisher: Hudson
Developer: Hudson
Released: 1989
System: Turbografx

Oh joy, another sports title hits the VC like a painful slap in the face or a welcoming embrace depending on your opinion and liking / loathing of the genre. Anyway moving on, World Class Baseball is a baseball game! Yeah I bet no one say that coming, it's also a Turbografx game which from previous sporting efforts released from the console will again divide opinion.

As far as the game itself goes, it plays reasonably well enough and was noted at it's time of release it was highly praised for it's persistently competent way of play. It also has a variety of modes including Open, Versus, Edit and Watch modes which are self explanatory but the games main selling point is Pennant Mode where you get to choose from one of the teams deriving from the world league of it's time as you strive against other teams for the win.

Visuals are functional, audio helps to back it up but it's really repetitive and not something you would choose to listen to on it's own but it does the job. There are a wealth of options to explore and plenty to do, this element of the game will no doubt appeal to fans of the genre and is where you will get your value for money if you have the time to appreciate it all, for me though it's just another average sports game which is strictly for the sports aficionado.

Verdict: Average game is Average.

And so another edition of VC Weekly comes to an end, but rest assured it will return again soon with more delights from the Hanabi festival so until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!

Sam Gittins
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