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Mystical Ninjas: Uniform, Weapons, Training, Ninja Stars Andn Swords
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Published: June 3, 2007
There is an old joke on the Internet that says that there is nothing cooler than pirates and ninjas. In truth, every medium from Hollywood to publishing companies to the games industry have tried to capitalize on the public's fascination with the mystical ninja. Nowhere is this more true than the historic home of the ninja: Japan.
Japanese publisher Konami has attempted to capitalize on this trend with a series titled, appropriately enough, Mystical Ninja.
The Mystical Ninja series has spanned 11 different hardware generations like arcade machines, the original Nintendo, the Playstation 2, and the Nintendo DS. Across all the platforms, there have been 27 different installments of the series including spin-offs and remakes. And Konami has given every indication that there are more games featuring fans' favorite ninjas and ninja weapons on the way.
The story of Mystical Ninja isn't all about a ninja uniform and some ninja stars. It actually traces itself to the story of Ishikawa Goemon a legendary ninja who was something like the Robin Hood of Japan. The legend has it that Goemon was boiled to death for his part in an assassination on a Japanese warlord. His legend lives on in series like Mystical Ninja and Lupin the Third, though in a somewhat romanticized light, less about the boiling and more about the cool ninja weapons and heroic tales.
As for the games themselves, Mystical Ninja is a series of tales about the adventures of a man named Goemon who undergoes ninja training and sets out on a series of adventures. The success of Goemon's ninja training is up to the players, though they'll have plenty of ninja weapons like swords and ninja stars to help them out. The series hasn't been a hit in America thus far, but the import market shows that there are some fans in the U.S.
The sales of Mystical Ninja in Japan have translated into several hot collectibles. They are of the usual fare for this type of series including art books, anime DVDs, manga comics, and even its own collectible card game. The collectibles market has been quite good in the U.S. and this might mean more games across the Pacific. One intriguing concept is using the Nintendo Wii remote as Goemon's ninja sword. As seen in the somewhat lackluster Red Steel, there's defiantly an audience for the ninja sword game in America, and it might be the leverage Mystical Ninja needs to hit it big here.
There's no denying the impact Konami's Mystical Ninja has had on gaming in Japan. New Mystical Ninja games are always greatly anticipated and strong sellers. With the new generation of game consoles hitting the market, it's very likely that a slew of new games about Goemon and his ninja sword will be on its way very soon, and there's a good chance that if it is made right it will be a great success in the United States as well.
Sources:
“Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon.” Wikipedia. 5 May 2007. 30 May 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mysticalal_Ninja_Star ring_Goemon.
Goemon: Mystical Ninja DS. IGN. 8 July 2005. 30 May 2007. http://ds.ign.com/objects/707/707496.html.
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Gamespy. 2007. 30 May 2007. http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/goemon/goem on2.htm.
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja Complete Collection. Anime on DVD. 1998-2006. 30 May 2007. http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/52 24.p
Related Articles
The Mystical Ninja series has spanned 11 different hardware generations like arcade machines, the original Nintendo, the Playstation 2, and the Nintendo DS. Across all the platforms, there have been 27 different installments of the series including spin-offs and remakes. And Konami has given every indication that there are more games featuring fans' favorite ninjas and ninja weapons on the way.
The story of Mystical Ninja isn't all about a ninja uniform and some ninja stars. It actually traces itself to the story of Ishikawa Goemon a legendary ninja who was something like the Robin Hood of Japan. The legend has it that Goemon was boiled to death for his part in an assassination on a Japanese warlord. His legend lives on in series like Mystical Ninja and Lupin the Third, though in a somewhat romanticized light, less about the boiling and more about the cool ninja weapons and heroic tales.
As for the games themselves, Mystical Ninja is a series of tales about the adventures of a man named Goemon who undergoes ninja training and sets out on a series of adventures. The success of Goemon's ninja training is up to the players, though they'll have plenty of ninja weapons like swords and ninja stars to help them out. The series hasn't been a hit in America thus far, but the import market shows that there are some fans in the U.S.
The sales of Mystical Ninja in Japan have translated into several hot collectibles. They are of the usual fare for this type of series including art books, anime DVDs, manga comics, and even its own collectible card game. The collectibles market has been quite good in the U.S. and this might mean more games across the Pacific. One intriguing concept is using the Nintendo Wii remote as Goemon's ninja sword. As seen in the somewhat lackluster Red Steel, there's defiantly an audience for the ninja sword game in America, and it might be the leverage Mystical Ninja needs to hit it big here.
There's no denying the impact Konami's Mystical Ninja has had on gaming in Japan. New Mystical Ninja games are always greatly anticipated and strong sellers. With the new generation of game consoles hitting the market, it's very likely that a slew of new games about Goemon and his ninja sword will be on its way very soon, and there's a good chance that if it is made right it will be a great success in the United States as well.
Sources:
“Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon.” Wikipedia. 5 May 2007. 30 May 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mysticalal_Ninja_Star ring_Goemon.
Goemon: Mystical Ninja DS. IGN. 8 July 2005. 30 May 2007. http://ds.ign.com/objects/707/707496.html.
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Gamespy. 2007. 30 May 2007. http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/goemon/goem on2.htm.
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja Complete Collection. Anime on DVD. 1998-2006. 30 May 2007. http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/52 24.p
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