Shinobido Homura is the third game in the Shinobido series, and the first to be released on the PSP. The game follows the exploits of ninja assassin Goh The Crow, and his female partner Kinu The Canary. Shinobido was developed by Acquire, the same team behind the original Playstation One Tenchu games, and as such, plays similar to those titles.


There are many ways to kill a man.
Shinobido Homura has clearly been made with the PSP in mind. The game contains 80 missions, allowing for saves between each one on the map screen. All of the levels are on a smaller scale than the console versions, and can usually be completed in less than 10 minutes. The original Shinobido featured a system allowing your character to change his/her affiliation and work for different lords.

This is not present in the PSP version, as the game is more along the lines of being a portable version of Shinobido Takumi, a collection of custom-created levels released for the Playstation 2 earlier this year. The levels are comprised mainly of missions in which you have to kill a boss or elminate all stage enemies, retrieve various objects (ranging from mushrooms to people) and head for a goal, or carry an object from the start of the level to the goal, avoiding or killing enemies along the way.


Nice big cast obsessed with necks.
Even though Shinobido's gameplay is similar to that of the Tenchu games, it does have its differences. The main characters are far more agile, able to jump longer differences and perform more brutal stealth kills. When sneaking up on enemies, you simply have to get close enough from any height or angle, and when a small flash appears above their heads, pressing the triangle button will make an instant kill. Grabbing an enemy at the wrong time will result in a struggle between both characters, tiring you and the enemy out, and leaving you vulnerable to attack while you catch your breath. You are unable to choose which items are taken into the level; everything is prechosen for you, with items such as grappling hooks, health potions, bombs, and shuriken available for use.