Do you like Ninja? Do you like Zombies? Do you like b-grade action films? If so, congratulations on your taste. Now, go buy something other than Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z.
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z: On the plus side
The Wumpus has a certain affection for bad movies. Bad movies often feature zombies, and that’s a trend that’s passed over successfully into the world of videogames. You’ve only got to look at the enduring success of games such as Day Z or Plants Vs Zombies to see that in action. Zombies, used properly, can make even a cheesy game ridiculous fun.
But what does that have to do with Ninja Gaiden, a series famous for Ninja, kinetic action and rock-solid difficulty? The setting for Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z sets the tone, as you start out as Ninja Warrior Yaiba, a man on a path of revenge against series regular Ryu Hyabusa.
There’s just one problem for Yaiba. He’s not at Ryu’s level, and a quick bit of down the middle cleaving, and he’s no longer even alive, strictly speaking. Resurrected as a cyborg ninja, he’s then got to face off against comical zombie hordes. Why? The Wumpus never really got its head around that bit, but then again, it doesn’t really matter.
What Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z offers is mindless beat-em-up action with tongue firmly in cheek. That’s often a hallmark of low-budget B-Movies, and as such, the Wumpus should be able to sit back and slice and dice the hideous undead with ease.
That’s the theory, anyway.
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