Shinobido

Shinobido: Way of the Ninja is a stealth-based video game set in old Japan featuring... well, Ninjas.

It follows the story of Goh, the young and talented ninja from the Asuka clan, who suffers from a strange amnesia. Soon, he finds out that his clan was exterminated, with a few survivors, and the only chance of regaining his memory lies in some mysterious Purple Stones that contain fragments of his memory. In order to find them, he starts working for three powers (the Ichijo Clan, the Akame Clan and the Amurita Sect) in order to find all the purple fragments and find out what happened to him. He'll have to deal with rival clans, thick plots, two mysterious ninja who seem to know him well, and a masked evil sorcerer who's apparently after him.

Despite not being very well known, it's a very good, challenging game, with interesting characters and realism.

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Tropes used in Shinobido include:

• Action Girl: Kinu, the Mosu ninja and, surprisingly, Lady Sadame herself.
• Amazon Brigade: The Mosu Ninja are composed by kunoichi.
• Anachronism Stew: Nigiri Sushi was not invented until the early Nineteenth Century.
• Animal Motifs: All the Asuka Ninja are nicknamed after birds. Goh is the Crow.
• Authority Equals Asskicking: All the high-ranking enemies, like generals, Barbarian chieftains, clan leaders and Ninja leaders are stronger and more durable than other low-level mooks. However, all of them (except for the Ninja leaders) can be slain in one stealth attack. if you do things right.
• Axe Crazy: Many of the rival ninjas, including Kabuto.
• Badass: Goh and Zaji.
• Badass Nickname: "Karasu" (Crow) for Goh and "Kurotaka" (Blackhawk) for Zaji. Subverted by Kinu, who's nicknamed "Kanaria" (Canary).
• Baleful Polymorph: At one point Gamuran imprisons Goh's soul in a bear's body. Also Onji whose soul was put in a cat's body.
• Big Bad: Gamuran.
• Big Bra to Fill: In order to pass for Kinu, Ageha apparently decided to... pack her bust up..

Usuba: (after taking a long gaze down Ageha's cleavage)"... Impressive... shame they're fake."

• BFS: Kabuto's Weapon of Choice is a large cleaver-like sword. And he usually tosses it.
• Black and Gray Morality: Regarding the Three main factions in Ukataka. They all have good intentions but also downsides.
• Blade Below the Shoulder: The Taraba Ninja's main melee weapon.
• Booby Trap: You can set these, including bombs, mines and explosive sushi!
• Boring Yet Practical: The easiest way to kill strong enemies is to bombard the with shurikens from far away.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Goh during his service for Gamuran against his own clan.
• Cool Sword: The mystic sword in the Asuka shrine. It's later used to kill Gamuran.
• Conservation of Ninjutsu: Averted. Hard. If your enemies outnumber you, then you should start running for your life and hide somewhere. And many ninja will probably make mincemeat out of you.
• Contractual Boss Immunity: Each and every enemy in game (even bears, Samurai Generals and leaders) can be taken out with one sneak attack. However, all the ninja leaders, Zaji and Gamuran are immune to stealth kills, even if you should be able to land one on them.
• Chekhov's Gun: The Sword in the Asuka Shrine.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Both Ageha and Usuba have shades of this. Hebitonbo of the Kenobi ninja is also a bit crazy.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Despite the outfit and the Animal Motifs Goh is not really evil.
• Death of a Thousand Cuts: Using shurikens to take down enemies, expecially the stronger ones.
• Downer Ending: Gamuran is dead and the secrets of necromancy inside his mind are gone, but Zaji died believing that Goh is still a traitor and Kinu goes away on her own, leaving Goh alone.
• The Dragon: Kabuto to Gamuran. Shockingly we later find out that Goh used to be Gamuran's Dragon.
• Dressing as the Enemy: Usuba disguises herself as Kinu in order to assassinate Goh.
• Dual Boss: Both Ageha&Usuba and Hebitonbo&Uzumushi. But you only need to defeat one of them to win.
• Dual-Wielding: The Samurai Generals often wields a couple of swords. The Barbarian Chief does the same thing with stone axes.
• Dumb Muscle: The Barbarians are far from smart. Also Hebitonbo and Uzumushi, whose brains combined barely make half a normal one.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: If you manage to gain the trust of both the three factions (it is possible if you are not spotted in missions),then in the end,Zaji is saved and Goh,Kinu and Zaji decide to start anew the Asuka Ninja clan under Zaji's rule
• Elite Mooks: The other ninja, as soon as they start to appear alongside mooks.
• Epic Flail: Kinu's weapon is a weird, multi-bladed flail. She can use it to stab people and strangle them with the chain. Uzumushi wields a long pole with a gargantuan iron orb connected to the top.
• Escort Mission: In many mission you'll have to escort a huge carriage carrying provisions for one of the factions. At least it goes right to the exit on its own and is really resistant to damage. Also in some missions you'll have to guard a merchant or a Samurai General and stop eventual killers.
• Everything Is Worse With Bears: Bears are really dangerous, but they can be used against your enemies if you're lucky.
• Evil Sorcerer: Gamuran. He's also undead and needs a special spell guarded by the Asuka ninjas to regain a body.
• Eye Scream: Zaji lost his right eye to Gamuran during the destruction of the Asuka village.
• Eyepatch of Power: Zaji again.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: Ageha has Uzumushi slammed on her Epic Flail -first from above and is crushed. Also some of the Insta-Kill attacks you can do.
• Fan Service: Lots of it, for both guys and girls.
• Fat Bastard: Kagetora Akame. Also Uzumushi.
• Fate Worse Than Death: Oji is trapped into a cat's body and is destined to eventually lose his human mind.
• Femme Fatale: Lady Sadame.
• Fetish Fuel Station Attendant: Well, let's see....
  • Lady Sadame is a beautiful, voluptuous lady who has a penchant for rubbing herself against a Buddha idol in a weird, sexy way. Goes over the top in one of the cutscenes where she's only wearing a nightgown and said statue is lying on the ground, or in the finale, where it looks like she's making out with it.
  • Ageha and Usuba also have their part in it. Expecially when they comment on Kinu's breast size.
• Good Is Dumb: Nobutero Ichijo, Goh's former master, is well natured and intentioned, but he's not very smart and is sadly weak-willed.
• Gotta Catch Them All: The purple stones (Goh's Soul fragments) containing his memories.
• Grappling Hook Pistol: You can use a useful grapple hook to reach high spots, avoid pits or, if you're lucky, drag victims in chasm with a well aimed shot.
• The Guards Must Be Crazy: Partly Averted, they may not be really efficient or what, but surely they're much more of a challenge then the guards from Assassin's Creed. As you proceed, they'll start to react to your tactics in a more careful way.
• Guide Dang It: Using alchemy without reading the manual is suicide. Well, it wasn't useful anyway...
• Handicapped Badass: Kinu has a prosthetic arm that she loses to the spell to release the sword when Goh freed Gamuran.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Cat-Ojii does one against Gamuran to buy Goh some time.
• Highly-Visible Ninja: The Taraba Ninja. Dear God, the Taraba Ninja. They're huge and they wear a ton of armor which makes a strong, clanking noise whenever they take a step or even breathe. Their main weapon is a mortar cannon on their backs. Their leader Kabuto takes this Up to Eleven.
• Hitman with a Heart: Goh and Kinu, the playable characters.
• Hollywood Cyborg: Kabuto, whose mouth is completely replaced by a metallic beartrap-like maw with a flamethrower built in.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: You can do this to some enemies. Also Zaji's death in the end.
• Informed Ability: Gamuran's necromancy.
• Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja: As soon as the other ninja appears, things gets more interesting in Utakata.
• Jerkass: Kabuto and Kagetora Akame. Sadame is more hedonistic and selfish than jerkass.
• Katanas Are Just Better: Goh's only weapon is a shinobigatana, and many high ranked enemies like yojimbos and Samurais wield those. Heck, even Lady Sadame has one!
• Kick the Dog: Goh killing Ageha and Usuba's sister in cold blood for no reason. Gamuran made him do that.
• Kill It with Fire: You can install fire-spitting traps in your garden. The Taraba Ninja (Including Kabuto) have firethrowers of some sort on them, which they can also use to get rid of eventual corpses.
• Kill Them All: Some of your missions consist of attacking a large group of enemies scattered in the map and slaying them one by one.
• Killed Off for Real: Let's see... Hebitonbo, Ageha, Kabuto, Zaji (in the usual ending) and Onji.
• Killer Rabbit: On of the avaible items is a toy duckling/lizard which can be used as a distraction. High level ones can blow up when picked by the guards, killing them all.
• Lady in Red: Kinu. Sadame is more pinkish than red.
• Land Mine Goes Click: The extremely useful mines. Once someone steps on them, he's gone. Even you, if you're not careful.
• Large and In Charge: Kabuto. Also the Barbarian Chief, who is always taller than any other savage.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: Goh.
• Latex Perfection: When Ageha disguises herself as Kinu. She's perfectly identical. Except for the right arm.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When you quit the game, Goh will look directly in the camera.
• Les Yay: Ageha and Usuba are highly implied to be lesbians, as shown in the cutscene where Ageha disguises/transforms into Kinu. Considering that their ninja clan is composed only of girls...
• Lost Forever: When the savages raid your house, any stolen item is gone if not recovered. Thankfully, they only take repleaceble items like ingredients or shurikens.
  • Subverted: You can buy stolen items back from the item shop, for an inflated price of course.
• Malevolent Masked Man: Gamuran. He reveals his face after his resurrection.
• Mentor Mascot: Onji is actually the cat that have been always around your hideout. Don't ask how he could have written those letters.
• Mind Over Matter: Gamuran's spells allow him to stop bullets in midair and levitate people.
• Mooks: The various soldiers and guards from the factions. In some missions they'll may be even helpful (or at least, they won't attack you).
• Multiple Endings: Hint: Don't favor any one of the factions too much.
• Murderous Thighs: Kinu's aerial stealth kill. The enemies will die happy.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Goh, after finding out his horrible deeds under Gamuran's rule.
• My Days Are Numbered: Akame's reason for conquering Utakata.
• Necromancer: Gamuran's plan is to learn the legendary spells in order to create an army of zombies.
• New Game+: With all the loot from the previous playthrough, extra costumes, new modes and playable Kinu from the start.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Goh accidentaly freed Gamuran from the Asuka Shrine by removing the sword that sealed him away.
  • Played for laughs in the introduction of the Kenobi leaders Uzumushi and Hebitonbo, where the latter kills a passerby in a very badass way.... only to find out that he was their client.
• Ninja: Of course.
• Nintendo Hard: The last missions tends to be this. Also learning alchemy is ridiculously complicated, and useless. Also one specific mission for Kagetora Akame has you put against a whole pack of Bears in the forest and you must kill all of them. Have fun...
• Not Distracted by the Sexy: Goh seems immune to Lady Sadame's charms. The player, on the other hand..
• One-Hit Kill: Using a stealth kill will allow you to insta-kill a enemy. It has several variations based on the situation. Eg, normally Goh will grab his victim from behind and slice his throat, while when attacking from above he'll grab his victim's head in midair and snap his neck.
  • Also the Wells. If you fall into a well or toss your opponent into one, you're/he's as good as dead.
• Playing with Fire: The Taraba Ninjas can use flamethrower-devices as weapons or in order to cremate corpses.
• Pettanko: The Mosu ninja. Also Kinu according to Ageha and Usuba. (granted, Kinu herself isn't flat..)
• Powered Armor: The Taraba ninja, who forfeited their right to be called ninja by wearing those ironclads!
• Recurring Boss: Zaji is fought three times. The other ninja leaders can also challenge you to a duel several times during the course of the game.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Ageha, Usuba and Zaji.
• Ronin: The Yojimbos in later missions. They're quite dangerous, but at least they don't call for reinforcements.
• Samurai: The Samurai Generals are this.
• Scarf of Asskicking: Goh. It may not be as flashy as Hotsuma's, but is still Badass.
• Scary Impractical Armor: Kabuto. He can barely walk properly in that stuff.
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Gamuran was one, and freed by Goh
• Stealth-Based Mission: In some missions you'll have to avoid getting spotted. If you fail, however, you simply lose points.
• Showing Off the New Body: Ageha-Kinu checks her disguise (and her boobs) after finishing it.
• Shut UP, Hannibal: During the last fight, Gamuran gets interrupted thrice, courtesy of Kinu (who gives the Asuka Sword to Goh), then Onji (who bites his arm) and, finally Goh, who stabs him in the head before he can finish casting his soul breaking spell again.
• Stock Ninja Weaponry: Goh can use a Ninjato and also shuriken, makibishi and smoke bombs.
• Stuff Blowing Up: Part of your arsenal is composed by smokebombs, mines, exploding toys and even explosive sushi. Also the large buckets of powder in Rokudo Valley and the bombs in one of the fortresses.
• Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Not really as a weapon, but as a distraction. You can pick up and throw not only swords, but also axes, bladerings, jittes, bows, muskets and small buckets. Only the bladed items can actually damage someone.
• Too Dumb to Live: Hebitonbo, who gets killed by a watermill and his brother Uzumushi. Also Kabuto, who tries to use one of the Soul Fragments as a Mumbo Jumbo-weapon against Gamuran and gets pwned as a result.
• Twincest: Ageha and Usuba are probably not only sisters but also lovers.
• Video Game Cruelty Potential: Some deaths are really nasty, including drowning people in low waters, breaking their necks, slicing their throats open or make them fall into bottomless chasms.
  • You can also grab the small kennels with the little dog inside and toss them down a well. (You have to aim carefully thought).
  • You Bastard!
    • To be honest it's often necessary to do so (or at least turn over the kennel), as the little beast will bark loudly if you come too close, alerting everyone nearby.
• Villainous Breakdown: The various faction leaders will send you letters (and cutscenes) as you slowly defeat them and weaken their faction. Sadame's breakdown is the most noticeable, since she goes from histerically screaming against you to covering in fear behind her sex to- er, Buddha idol.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Ageha and Usuba gives one to Goh when he lets them go after their first fight.
• Whip Sword: Hebitonbo has one concealed in his armlet/shield which doubles as a Blade Below the Shoulder.
• You Killed Our Sister: Ageha and Usuba's reason for their revenge.