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Hong Kong, 1984. A ninja receives a letter stating that his brother, Akul, has been kidnapped. He promptly sets out on his search. In the end, after facing some dangerous criminals on the wagons of a runaway train, he believes he has found him, but it's a trap. Instead of his brother, he finds a bomb, which explodes and kills him instantly. Akul, also a ninja, learns that the crime was committed by the Gunshi gang, dedicated to the opium trade. Akul, who is now the last member of his clan, has only one aim: to avenge his brother's death.

This is the background, narrated in a playable prologue, of Ninjakul 2: The Last Ninja, a platform/action title developed by the Pat Morita Team. The story unfolds through various stages: the prologue, which we have already seen, and five others, of which the first four can be tackled at the player's choice from the beginning. The game environments, shown in flip-screen, range from a public park, where it is also possible to climb trees, to a port with a large submarine, a market, a cemetery and finally the Gunshi residence, accessible only after defeating the final bosses waiting for us at the end of each section.

However, it will not always be possible to negotiate the sections in any order. For example, the second screen of the harbor section can only be crossed if we find a sacred scroll hidden somewhere in the park, which allows Akul to jump further. In each of the first four phases, in fact, a scroll is hidden; once collected, he will be bestowed a special power, indispensable for going further into the game.

As for weapons, Akul can count on his trusty sword to attack enemies at close range, and on shurikens to hit them from a distance. The latter are limited in number and Akul will have to find others around the levels if he runs out of them. Sometimes they will also be necessary for proceeding into the adventure, for example to operate an unreachable lever. The enemies' touch decreases Akul's life force, and to restore it, you can collect a heart-shaped icon.

It should be now clear that there is really a lot of content in Ninjakul 2. Levels are wide and depicted by simple but clean graphics: the small sprites move smoothly on the screen, while the settings are varied and characterized by a good use of colour.

The narrative screens seen in the early parts of the game add a touch of class. Equally noteworthy are the Oriental background tunes playing during the storytelling and the gaming action. Longevity is also increased by the ability to choose between three difficulty levels at the beginning. On the other hand, I was left perplexed by having to use two separate controls to jump and climb stairs, which I always find uncomfortable, but I suppose it is a limitation of the Churrera MK2.

Ultimately, Ninjakul 2 is a game that will keep you busy and leave you satisfied. A must play!