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NCS Game Notes
* In the intro to the game, a horde of riders scare a bunch of crows and they scatter into the air. Goh the Crow soon appears along with a mysterious gal ninja and the two engage in enemy smashing bouts.

* Upon starting the game, the camera tracks the path of a river and eventually glides across a body lying on the water. With a cough, he awakes and rises to his feet as a gathering of crows caw and fly across the screen. It's Goh and he peers at his reflection in his upright sword. Struggling to his feet, Goh wonders what has happened and why he can't remember anything. A white kitty cat pads along in the distance and Goh follows the cat into a house and picks up a violet gemstone that blazes. He receives faint and blurry images of what has happened before. An arrow whizzes and sticks to the wall near Goh's head bearing an important message...

* When control is handed over to the player, Goh is at the foot of a bride and a guard stands in the middle of the bridge. Even though two of the guards in this particular area saw Goh and confronted him, they are none too wary and it's a simple procedure to walk Goh behind one of the guards and kill him with a couple of strokes. The guard will however call his fellow sentries over and three of them will soon attack en masse. Goh has a simple attack which is activated by pressing "SQUARE" but the guards will hold up their swords in a defensive stance to deflect any head-on attacks. The trick is to jump and slash over them so that Goh rises up and then performs a slash as he's over their heads.

* Talk about beating a dead horse... when enemies are killed and their corpses are just lying there. Goh may still kick them and beat them around - watch them slide across the ground like a sack of potatoes.

* When Goh is running, press the "O" button to make him slide to a stop. If he slides over an obstacle such as a dead body, he'll go tumbling over and fall flat on his back. Pressing R1 + X perfoms a forward tumble. To tumble to the left or direct, press the L-analog in either direction and hit R1 + X. To perform a mighty rising slash, hit R1 + SQUARE.

* Ninjas are all about stealth and Goh has it in spades. To creep against a wall, walk up to it and press the R1 button to slowly sidle across it while moving the L-analog. When walking, hold down the R1 button and Goh's fast pace will slow to a measured and quiet walk that's perfect to moving behind someone without their notice. Conversely, if Goh needs to run somewhere quickly, start his normal jaunt by moving the L-analog and then press the "O" button.

* The guards are fairly aggressive in their attacks - when Goh is down, they'll gang up and perform multiple slashes but there's still a good amount of standing around while Goh runs rampant. The A.I. of the enemy is fairly good. There are times when they'll spot Goh hiding in the shadows but if Goh backs off into the shadows again, they'll shake their heads and continue their patrols as if nothing amiss just happened. However, once Goh is identified, they will call in reinforcements and press the attack.

* Goh has a little resting place that's a shack where he retires to after each level. He can replenish weaponry, check information, and also save his progress to memory card inside the shack.

Background information from publisher Acquire
In the late Muromachi period, after the Onin and Bunmei war, the central ruling authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate was in shambles. As a result, provinces fought to establish their own independence.

Rumors of war slowly approached Utakata. However, surrounding provinces could not invade because they were afraid of retaliation from its shadow warriors, the Asuka Ninja Clan.

Under the protection of the House of Ichijo and the Asuka Ninja Clan, the people of Utakata believed that peace would last forever. But when the Asuka Ninja Clan was wiped out in a single night, their lives of tranquility ended.

This enabled the surrounding provinces to invade Utakata lands. Other ninja clans also stepped in to take the Asuka Ninja Clan’s place.

You begin the game as Goh, one of the remaining survivors of the Asuka Ninja Clan.

Alternate background information from Acquire
Near the end of the Muromachi Period...

The shadow of war looms over the tiny province of Utakata...

End of the Muromachi Period -- the late 16th century: The power of the Ashikaga government is on the decline after the Onin/Bunmei civil war. Civil unrest is on the rise and conflict rocks province after province. Even Utakata, long peacefully ruled by the House of Ichijo, is now threatened. However, something in Utakata gives even the most power-hungry lord pause -- the prestigious Asuka Ninja Clan.

It was thought that the combined protection of the House of Ichijo and the Asuka ninja would preserve the peace in Utakata. But this time of peace came to an end when the Asuka Ninja clan was destroyed in a single night... The provincial lords, who had been watching and waiting for an opportunity to strike at Utakata, wasted no time in making their moves. And they were accompanied by rival ninja clans hoping to take the place of the Asuka Ninja.

Besieged by rival governments and ninja clans, Utakata stands on the brink of war...

Amidst this monumental struggle for power, a bloody battle is unfolding in the shadows...

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