Overview and Gameplay
Police detective Joe Osugi fights criminals empowered by the Mad Masks across six missions and twenty stages. Each stage requires him to rescue hostages, collect keys, open the red exit door, and defeat enemies guarding the route. Mission finales end with battles against mask-controlled bosses.
Easy includes three missions, Normal contains the full campaign, and completing Normal unlocks Hard. Time Trial lets Joe replay cleared stages against target times.
Controls And Mechanics
Joe attacks at range with shuriken and uses his katana at close range. The grappling hook supports swinging, climbing, wall traversal, aerial attacks, and movement across hazards. Crouching, sliding, scanning ahead, and locking the firing angle help him approach guarded rooms.
Red Lightning upgrades shuriken through normal, fire, and laser levels, while damage lowers the current level. Enemy defeats fill the Ninjutsu Gauge. A full gauge damages every enemy on screen, while partial activation grants temporary invincibility. Hearts restore Life, and harming hostages causes a major Life penalty.
Release And Credits
- Release year: 2003
- Developer: Hudson Soft
- Publisher: Konami
- Original platform: Game Boy Advance
- European title: Ninja Cop
