iOS gamers have their fair share of games based on the endless runner genre. Games from this genre offer endless hours of gameplay with no way of actually completing the game. The player is scored on the distance traveled, the amount of points accumulated, and the number of enemies vanquished.
UFO Interactive’s Samurai G is based on the same premise. As the samurai warrior Tetsuo, your mission is to collect coins imbued by the power of Tengu while fending off evil assassins and avoiding traps. Samurai G is coined (no pun intended) as a 2D side-scroller, but the term is used loosely.
The gameplay is limited to controlling Tetsuo’s actions. As you collect coins, you can attack, jump, and move from left to right to avoid throwing stars, ninjas, assassins on horseback, and deadly traps like bamboo spikes. Since Tetsuo is constantly running, you can’t duck to avoid incoming projectiles like in a standard side-scroller. You must jump over everything to avoid being hit.
Tetsuo becomes invincible for a short time once you have collected enough coins. He can slash through his enemies quickly and projectiles cannot inflict damage. The second 3DS screen displays a coin pouch (which indicates how many coins are needed for invincibility), your current score and the distance traveled. The controls are surprisingly responsive despite the limitations of the game mechanics.
Samurai G doesn’t offer much else beyond what has already been described. There is an option to choose between normal and hard difficultly settings, and unlockable achievements are present, but there is nothing substantial to set Samurai G apart from other games in the genre.
Games like One Epic Knight by developer Simutronics have taken the genre to new heights with the ability to upgrade your character with attack potions, armor, and weapons. There’s even a store to purchase items with the gold you’ve collected once your stock depletes. Samurai G offers none of these features. It strips the genre down to its fundamental basics and runs with it (no pun intended).
With gripes aside, Samurai G doesn’t necessarily fail as a game. It’s better served in short intervals because of its lack of content and replay value. It’s not the greatest game to ever grace the Nintendo 3DS’ library, but it’s certainly not the worst either.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo eShop)
Developer: UFO Interactive
Publisher: UFO Interactive
ESRB: T (Teen)
Price: $1.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Beautifully hand drawn 2D graphics. | |
| Sound | |
| The music repeats and the sound effects are generic. | |
| Gameplay | |
| While challenging, there is no replay value. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Samurai G isn't a bad value for the money if you're looking to keep yourself occupied during that short ride home . | |
