Review - Super House of Dead Ninjas (PC)

Super House of Dead Ninjas is very much a retro game, emphasizing reaction times and reflexes over graphics and story.  The graphics are modeled after old school 16-bit games, and fits the gameplay perfectly.  Then again, I'm a big fan of retro gaming, so take from that what you wish.  There is a story, but if you're like me, you missed it entirely because the story is not mentioned at all throughout the game.  You have to read the in-game comic from the main menu in order to find out anything about the background of the character or why you're fighting your way through a tower filled with traps and enemies.  Pst, do it though, 'cause the game will give you a free upgrade for reading the comic!

You have to fight your way down from the top of a tower, comprised of 350 floors before you even reach the basement.  Don't ask me what's in the basement, since I only know it exists from looking at the achievements for the game.  My best floor thus far has been 0, and I couldn't pass the 2 bosses guarding the entrance to the basement.

The game moves very quickly, with my average game only lasting 4-5 minutes.  A lot of the difficulty in this game is that you're not only fighting against the traps and enemies in the tower, you're also racing against time.  You start off with a 30 second timer and if that counts down to 0, a demon chases you and knocks off one of your health.  You can reset this timer with time power-up drops from enemies or crates, but those, like everything else, are random and can't be relied on.  This game would be far easier if you could take your time clearing past the obstacles, but time is a luxury you simply can't afford. You have a limited amount of health and continues, and once those run out, the game is over.  Think of a typical speed run, and that's roughly how fast this game requires you to go.

The game can be unforgivably difficult as you progress, and the tower itself is randomly generated with each playthrough, so there's no memorizing sequences here.  You'll have to rely on your reflexes if you hope to make it through.  The great thing about this game is that whenever you do take damage, it's often because you were careless in some way.  There's no artificial difficulty being added here, every obstacle in the game can be passed.  The game plays very much like a casual game, in that you can pick it up, play for 15 minutes, see if you can beat your best score, and then put it down.  The gameplay itself is not casual at all though, and my first attempt at the game was so embarrassingly bad, I immediately had to go back and redeem myself.

The game is very easy to pick up and play, as there are only a handful of attacks and moves you can pull off.  Mastering the game will take quite some time though, as the game often forces you to make decisions in a split second.  Just as you hop down to the next floor, you notice the very tip of an enemy hiding in the ground, waiting to pop up and shoot a fireball at you.  Perform a mid-air slash or lose one of your precious health.  The game does make it slightly easier for you, unlocking new weapons or upgrades the more you play the game.  Die a lot and you gain extra health.  Do a better job at surviving for a certain amount of time and the game will upgrade your timer for you.

This game is a lot of fun, but it's not particularly deep.  If you're a completionist or a person that enjoys the sense of achievement from passing an especially difficult challenge, then this may be for you.  That being said I still enjoyed this game a lot, but it's definitely one of those games I have to be in the mood for.  It's entertaining for half an hour to an hour at a time, but I personally found it just a bit too fast paced and stressful to play for much longer than that in a single setting.  The randomly generated tower helps keep each playthrough fresh and exciting.

Final Score - 8/10