Mystic Warriors (Arcade) (1993)
Developer: Konami

Review by Faididi and Co.

"Sunset Riders 2"

Story: Above Average

Skull Industries doesn't just sound like an organization bent on world domination; it actually is one. Behind its flimsy business front lies thousands of evil ninja, evil robots, and evil ninja robots who make sure it gets what it wants. The only people who stand in its way are five good ninja named Spyros, Keima, Kojiro, Brad, and Yuri. When the forces of Skull kidnap one of them, the remaining four heroes must go out to rescue their friend. The story starts off generic enough, but a very unexpected twist leads to more than just the usual ending.

Gameplay: Excellent

Konami's Mystic Warriors is the follow-up to Sunset Riders, and it's an action shooter with much in common. Running through 9 side-scrolling stages, our heroes throw out shuriken like bullets. They can jump between upper and lower floors, and they can even pick up and toss back sticks of dynamite thrown by certain enemies.

However, Mystic Warriors isn't just Sunset Riders with ninja instead of gunslingers. The choice of playable characters is far more interesting. Although there are 5 playable heroes at the beginning, an unselected hero will become the one who is captured by the bad guys, leaving only the remaining four available for the rest of the game. The differences among the heroes are noticeably more pronounced, too. Spyros throws his metal in a manner very much like the Sunset Riders who wield revolvers, while Kojiro and Keima toss their ninja death stars in wide patterns. On the other hand, Yuri throws a single but almost unbroken stream of rapid shuriken, and Brad is the sole hero who can change from shooting rapid streams to hurling spreading shots.

Adding further to the fun and ease of play is the introduction of the hand-to-hand attacks and the life meter system. Spyros and his friends will swing out their blades when any bad guys come close enough to them. These hand-to-hand attacks are extremely powerful, because they can sweep away enemy projectiles, and choosing whether to shoot from a distance or to risk running up close to slash at targets certainly adds an exciting new dimension to the classic formula. As for the life meter system, depending on the game's settings, the heroes can suck up multiple hits before slumping over, which is great for holding onto those power-ups.

Featuring longer stages and more minibosses, the level and enemy designs are campy in a good way. The heroes will travel through the streets of a city at nighttime, ski down a snowy mountain, swim through a flooded cavern, ride rafts down a river, leap from plane to plane across the skies, and, of course, assault Skull's many fortresses. For all their unique attack patterns, the bad guys deliberately look like rejects from TMNT, and one of the bosses even loosely resembles the Technodrome.

Controls: Excellent

The controls are perfectly responsive. Going beyond the guys in Sunset Riders and the Contra series, the heroes here can keep attacking while moving along cables or climbing walls.

Graphics: Above Average

The character designs may be really tacky, but otherwise Mystic Warriors looks as colorful as Sunset Riders. The effect of wind on the heroes' hair and scarves is a neat touch, and the outlandish bosses are drawn large and menacing.

Audio: Excellent

The heroes throw out their projectiles and cut through the air with forceful whooshes, and the explosions are loud and messy. The characters sound like they're from a crappy Saturday morning cartoon, with plenty of cheesy dialogue and acting. What definitely isn't a joke, though, is the music. Highly inspired, moving, and far more plentiful than what's heard in Sunset Riders, the tunes of Mystic Warriors are fantastic modern takes on traditional Japanese themes.

Overall: Excellent

Don't let the garish character designs throw you off. Mystic Warriors is a fun and frantic action shooter that ups the bar with its unusually varied heroes, its overpowered hand-to-hand attacks, and its awesome music. Those who enjoy Sunset Riders and don't mind trading over six-shooters for swords and throwing stars are going to love this game.