Ninpen Manmaru

God of War, Twilight Princess, Tomb Raider, Jumping Flash, Alone in the Dark. This game is none of these yet somehow possesses a small piece of each, which makes this reviewer wonder where those games got their start. It's the little obscure games like Ninpen Manmaru that made bigger waves later on, but that's not to say Ninpen doesn't hold it's own. The one overriding factor in every game ever made isn't how good the graphics look or whether or not the audio is analog or DTS, but whether or not the game is playable. Gameplay is what keeps you coming back for more, and Ninpen Manmaru has loads of solid gameplay.

Ninpen Manmaru is an obscure Japanese platformer / puzzler based on the Anime of the same name from the folks at ENIX / TAMTAM. Colorful 3D worlds abound in this little gem where you'll wander around figuring out the way to the finish before the proverbial clock runs out. The first few levels are pretty easy, but the game does progress nicely making you want to throw your controller through the TV. Only the good games will do this.

Although this game isn't a graphical masterpiece, it is rather pleasing to the eye despite some of the larger pixilated textures. The maps are well done and obstacles all well planned out making you take time to figure out what your next move should be. It has to be one of the stranger titles to inhabit the Saturn library, but I won't spoil the little surprises littered throughout the game. Weird is the best way to describe this one.

The digital control in this one is choppy, too bad the game is not compatible with the analog pad. The audio on the first level is straight out of Mario Sunshine's beach levels with the heavy Caribbean theme playing in the background, in fact, I could almost swear Miyamoto borrowed this track for Mario Sunshine. There's also an underlying digitized track which sounds great on a good home theater. Ninpen has some nice cut-scenes to add a bit to the story which I'm assuming come from the Anime.

Overall Ninpen Manmaru is a fantastic little platformer / puzzler which is pleasing to the eye and more importantly retains the most key ingredient for any game; GAMEPLAY, GAMEPLAY and more GAMEPLAY. This is a highly recommended title.