Shinobi Non Grata Review

Shinobi Non Grata is set in 1838, the 9th year of the Tenpō era when Japan was caught in a demonic turmoil. It’s up to our protagonist, Kaina, the descendent of a bloodline of shinobi, to go head-to-head with Genba Kisaragi, leader of the Oboro Ittō clan who has formed an alliance with an army of demons set on overthrowing the bakufu government.

Shinobi Non Grata is a 2D action platformer that feels a bit reminiscent of the classic Ninja Gaiden trilogy on the NES, except with the challenge cranked up to 11. Players can attack with their trusty sword, jump, double jump and dodge enemy attacks. However, our protagonist, like any good ninja, has a bevvy of sub-weapons. Players can switch between sub-weapons at any time, with each of them having their own unique meter, limiting usage so players don’t abuse them.

Kaina has six sub-weapons: Shurikens, Kusarigama, an oversized shotgun, a sticky grenade-like explosive, an electric attack and a flash-like magic skill that damages everything on screen. While all of the sub-weapons use the same meter, they don’t consume the same amount of said meter. The stronger the sub-weapon, the more meter energy it uses. However, killing enemies and breaking crates can refill it. What’s interesting is that certain sub-weapons will dish out more damage to certain bosses, so there’s a bit of experimenting; think of it like Mega Man.

Thankfully, as you go through each level, you’ll also find crates with health items, giving players a fighting chance at survival. Additionally, each of the game’s levels are split into mini-sections, short sequences where you go through the level, killing enemies. Then a sub-boss, followed by another progressing sequence. Rinse and repeat until you reach the level’s end boss.

The game looks great in all of its pixelated glory. Each level has its own theme, and while Shinobi Non Grata features a darker colour palette, they managed to make the game colourful. It also features a decent enemy design variety. The mid and end-level bosses are well-designed, thought out and unique in style and challenge. Obviously, the Japanese style is prevalent alongside English and Japanese subtitles, which can create two unique experiences. Accompanying all of this is the game’s soundtrack, which is full of Japanese inspiration to round out this action-packed experience.

It does seem like the game isn’t overly balanced. While the levels themselves are fun and provide a fair level of challenge, it does give players a false sense of security as every boss presents a huge difficulty spike. What doesn’t help is that if you die, you restart the level’s sequence just before the boss, meaning you can also get to the boss in a weaker state than you would have if you’d started immediately at the boss after a death.

Shinobi Non Grata is a hard-to-put-down, hard-as-nails 2D action platformer reminiscent of the classic 8-bit and 16-bit era of gaming. Level sections are fun thanks to the challenge and enemy variety, while bosses will keep players on their toes and require a bit of repetition in order to figure out their patterns. At the same time, it can feel very unbalanced. It’s also a nuisance not being able to restart just before the boss after a death. Despite these grievances, If you’re looking for a new challenge, Shinobi Non Grata is a must-play.