THE HUB

OMG!!!

FEATURED GAME

FEATURED MEMBER

elementxstyle

elementxstyle

GP Design shop.

QUICK POLL

Buying Madden 09?

ASK THE PROS

THE GAMEPROS

FREE NEWSLETTERS

Sign up now to receive weekly or daily updates on your favorite games, stories, and more!



DS | RPG | Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns

Boxart for Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns 14 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 3.50
  • SOUND: 3.75
  • CONTROL: 3.25
  • FUN FACTOR 3.50
  • AVG USER SCORE n/a
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.5

Review: Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns

Review by Emily Balistrieri | 07/22/2008 | 09:56:55 AM PST

The cocky, pink-haired ninja Izuna is back for another round of shinobi-coated dungeon crawling with some new features and tweaks in tow.

If you haven't, I highly recommend you play the first Izuna, as most of the dialogue in this sequel seems tailored to people who are already familiar with the core characters. It also pays to be familiar with the game's Rogue-like system that causes you lose all your cash and items if you die but allows you to retain your experience and levels.

Everyone Needs A Buddy

One new tweak to the formula is that Izuna 2 allows you to handpick a partner to fight with, essentially giving you two lives in the dungeon instead of one. You can switch characters up to three times (until a little bar fills again) and there is also another extra bar for a special sync move-for example, when you are playing as Izuna and Mitsumoto, she'll pick him up and swing him around in a circle, smashing all the enemies in the arc. In addition to more characters and the welcome addition of two extra save slots, Izuna 2 also features more gear and more ways to use it. The magic Talismans from the first game return, and not only can you use them for short term gain and stick them onto weapons to get bonuses, you can also combine them with a Talisman staff to get even more usage out of them.

Ninja Review

There are also neat features like a camera to take gallery photos and pills you can swallow for effects or throw into the throats of your enemies; there are also cute, humorous touches like staring lovingly at pictures of your mom or dog in order to regain willpower.

Izuna 2 might prove too challenging to casual DS gamers who are just looking for a quick round of fun but the game still has a lot going for it. The controls are solid, the Japanese vocals and English subtitles are well done, and while the game does make you grind through levels, it was nice to know that my actions would make a difference even if I died eleven floors down. Izuna 2 is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor and a spunky option for DS owners looking for a hardcore dungeon crawling experience.

PROS: Gameplay is interesting and deep, Japanese voiceovers are great
CONS: No multiplayer; may not appeal to casual DS gamers


Related Articles