The Ninja is a recurring enemy in the Ganbare Goemon series. He is a traditional Japanese assassin who specializes in stealth missions.
Origins[]
Ashikaga Mitsuuji and a ninja. Woodblock print on paper. Kunisada, 1853.
A ninja or shinobi was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding, and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed dishonorable and beneath the honor of the samurai.
In the unrest of the Sengoku period, mercenaries and spies for hire became active in Iga Province and the adjacent area around the village of Kōga, and it is from these areas that much of the knowledge regarding the ninja is drawn. Following the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century, the ninja faded into obscurity.
By the time of the Meiji Restoration (1868), shinobi had become a topic of popular imagination and mystery in Japan. Ninja figured prominently in legend and folklore, where they were associated with legendary abilities such as invisibility, walking on water and control over natural elements. As a consequence, their perception in popular culture is based more on such legends and folklore than on the covert actors of the Sengoku period.
Description[]
Stealthy and agile enemies fully clad in traditional, dark colored shinobi shōzoku ninja garb and covering their faces with a mask, often leaving only their eyes visible. They specialize in stealthy missions and are known to employ a variety of weapons to get the job done, of which their trademark katanas (short straight swords) are generally their main weapons. They are usually encountered in groups and sometimes they comprise entire troops or even armies serving under a lord or employer.
Several characters in the Ganbare Goemon series are ninjas - most prominently, its four main protagonists: Goemon, Ebisumaru, Yae and Sasuke; and the whole ninja theme prevails along the franchise's entire universe, with medieval oriental lords and warriors waging wars with each other in their aim to conquer new territories.
Appearances[]
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja[]
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja introduces a whole assortment of ninja troops, each attacking in a characteristic way depending on its type. All these ninjas are actually clockwork robots created by the Wise Old Man to protect his appropriately named "Ninja Castle", comprising the main opposing force encountered throughout the level, with their head commander being the agile and loyal ninja, Sasuke.
Attempting to seek guidance from the Wise Old Man, Goemon and Ebisumaru enter the castle uninvited - an act that is mistaken as an infiltration attempt, so the entire ninja forces are deployed to stop them. The heroes manage to overcome the ambush, though, and they finally reach the castle's rooftop, where Sasuke and his last men challenge them to a final battle while riding through the air on a kite.
The different ninja types that are encountered in the castle are the following:
- Note: Most of the following names are unofficial and were made up in relation to each enemy type's form of attack. Enemy types are listed in order of appearance.
- Bomber ninja
The castle's first line of defense; these are the only clockwork ninjas that are found in the town scene of the level. These ninjas hide on the treetops surrounding the castle, from where they peek out and throw bombs at the player below. Due to the game's questionable hit detection, they unexpectedly can become a problem; more so, because most of the screen will be blocked by the big bunches of leaves from the trees where they hide in. While they are easier to deal with by switching to the player's ranged weapon, it's just better to ignore them altogether and just rush through the area where they appear in until reaching the castle's gates.
- Splitting ninja
An initially ordinary looking ninja that apparently does nothing more than just running. However, once he's been hit by the player, he'll be knocked back and, being a robot, his body will split, with his torso popping away while his legs keep running forward, so the player should be ready to hit these a second time, as well as to aim well if the ninja comes on a platform at a different level than the player's.
- Climbing ninja
A ninja that skillfully climbs on a rope. He enters the screen from an opening on the ceiling and sliding down a rope, and stops when he's about the same height as the player, doing a brief pause and then throwing a shuriken at them.
- Shuriken throwing ninja
These ninjas perform a high leap forward and throw a shuriken at the player while in midair. Funnily enough, sometimes their jumping skills take the best of them and they end up crashing painfully on the ceiling instead, temporarily disabling them while they slowly float down.
- Stabby ninja
The Stabby Ninja (ぶった切り忍者 Butagiri Ninja?) starts his attack by jumping and then diving forward with his sword, holding it with both hands and with such passion that he actually ends up doing so upside down. Once he lands sword first, however, the blade will get stuck on the floor and the ninja will remain there, unable to move and at the player's mercy.
It's worth mentioning that the "sword" he wields actually appears to be a paper pin.
- Minion spawning ninja
This ninja peeks out from a panel on the wall and then his face slides upward, revealing a compartment underneath from which it launches out four tiny ninja minions –two to each side– which will then start to slowly float down. These minions will remain on the screen for a short while and then vanish. If the minions land on the floor, they'll start running around for a brief time until they disappear.
There is another variant of this type of ninja that only appears preceding Sasuke's boss fight. It doesn't peek out of a panel (as there is no wall) and instead behaves similarly to the shuriken throwing ninja type, by first performing a big leap, although once he's in midair, his face will slide up and release four minions like the standard variant.
Additionally, a group of Sasuke's last soldiers –all clad in light green gi– will attack the player preceding his boss fight, which include pairs of almost all the aforementioned ninja types. These are:
- Two splitting ninjas
- Two sword diving ninjas
- Two shuriken throwing ninjas
- Two minion spawning ninjas
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon[]
Stealthy ninjas who jump from the ceiling and launch a barrage of shurikens ("ninja stars") at the player. Their aiming is very accurate and they usually throw three or four in rapid succession. They are defeated in one hit. They are only encountered in Oedo Castle.
Gallery[]
Artworks[]
Sprites and screenshots[]
(beta version)
(beta version)
References[]
- ↑ The Legend of the Mystical Ninja Japanese instruction booklet, page 41. (SHVC-GG)
- ↑ Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Japanese instruction booklet, page 46. (NUS-NG5J-JPN)
- ↑ The Legend of the Mystical Ninja English instruction booklet, page 27. (SNS-GG-USA)
External links[]
- Ninja at Wikipedia