Ninja Arashi, a dramatic platformer with RPG elements, begins after the evil Orochi escapes imprisonment and proceeds to murder the wife of legendary ninja Arashi before abducting his son. Orochi seeks to use the child as a sacrificial offering in order to resurrect the ancient demonic deity Dosu. And so, Arashi embarks on a perilous journey to save his son and exact revenge.
While the Japanese names featured in Ninja Arashi might make your head spin, they have in fact been carefully hidden within the game by several of its developers in tribute to ninja culture.
Orochi is an eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent whose full name is Yamato no Orochi. This figure, which originates from a wicked, evildoing deity in Japanese mythology, has made countless appearances in games such as King of Fighters and Warriors Orochi. Such evil is reminiscent of the infamous villain Orochimaru of the anime series Naruto. The influence of Naruto doesn’t end there, as the arch nemesis Dosu is a tribute to the Naruto character Dosu Kinuta (Orochimaru’s henchman).
The protagonist’s name, Arashi, is the pronunciation of the Japanese character for the word “tempest”, as well as the name of a Japanese boy band – in case you were wondering! Viewed from the angle of ninja culture, Naruto deserves yet another mention. Its protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, is bound up with the notion of a tempest. Firstly, his chakra is that of wind and not only is the first unique skill he masters called Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, but the full title of the anime also happens to be Naruto: Hurricane Chronicles. In a more literal sense, the word “Arashi” may refer to Wind Release, a ninjutsu technique within Naruto.
Beautiful oriental visuals set the tone for the game. While cherry blossoms flutter against a moonlit sky, Arashi’s silhouette flashes by before he dashes into a bamboo grove. In addition to the intense battle scenes encountered, the stunning scenery and atmosphere you’ll discover along your journey with Arashi make this an all-encompassing gaming experience.