• ID = PS0737
• STYLE = Third-Person 3D Action
• DEV. = Adrenium
• PUB. = Sega of America, Inc.
• R-DATE = Mar-29-2004
• ESRB = T / For Teen
• PLAYERS = 1-2 players
• LIST PRICE = $39.99
  

LIVE THE LEGEND...Based on the hit Cartoon Network series, Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku lets players assume the title role and live the life of the famed warrior. As Jack, players will traverse 4 realms to rescue prisoners and defeat enemies, including Aku and Mad Jack. Combo moves and Sakai Mode add a stylish layer to the combat system, allowing players to do greater damage or slow-down the action for more precise hits.

Interactive environments allow players to cut ropes, blast doors, and break walls to solve puzzles and enter hidden areas. Developed with cooperation from the show's creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, and voiced by the cast of the series, Samurai Jack is a combination of action and fantasy, with a touch of comedy that is sure to appeal to both kids and adults.

Features: 24 levels that span 4 unique realms, from an ancient village and massive forests to Aku city. Defeat enemies with (or in) Sakai Mode, slow-motion action. 25 signature Jack combat moves, plus 3 elemental Swords, Throwing Stars and a Bow and Arrow. Select from 3 difficulty levels to match your gameplay experience.

Fight against well-known Samurai Jack foes such as Aku, the Scotsman and Mad Jack as well as 25 other unique enemies. Interactive environments-cut ropes, destroy crates, blast open doors, create new pathways. Puzzle solving and platform-style elements add depth and variety to the gameplay experience. Worked with the creator, artists, voice actors, and composer from the show to create an authentic Samurai Jack experience.

Description 2:
Samurai Jack: Shadow Of Aku takes you into the latest adventures of the amazing character from the hit Cartoon Network show! Samurai Jack was thrust from his era into a dark future where his worst enemy, the wizard Aku, rules the world. You'll help Jack fight through legions of enemies and destroy the evil wizard!

• Travel through four massive game levels and fight in 24 enemy-filled levels.
• Use Jack's swords and arrows in incredible combos -- time will slow down as Jack's super-moves rip Aku's monsters apart.
• Live up to your heroic reputation by rescuing trapped or imprisoned people.
• Visit amazing locations like Aku City, designed with the same look as the hit cartoons.
• Jack's clothes will be ripped apart with every hit he takes -- let him get injured and he'll have nothing but a loincloth & sandals to fight in.

Genndy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack cartoon has a lot of cool things going for it: a unique look, smart stories, good sound design, and tons of action. The Samurai Jack game, however, has none of the above. The conversion of Tarakovsky's two-dimensional characters to three dimensions makes for graphics that look familiar, yet still crappy. Where the show looks lush, the game looks bland. But the graphics aren't the only dull aspect of this title.

As with the show, The Shadow of Aku follows Samurai Jack's quest to defeat the evil demon Aku by travelling back in time to thwart him before he can rise to power. Before he can head into the past, Jack has to free those Aku has enslaved. In each stage, Jack must seek out caged villagers and ancient relics to earn power-ups. Freeing villagers can earn Jack new swords, while relics can be exchanged for more life, power, or Zen (which allows Jack to enter "sakai mode" – basically a simplified bullet time). The trouble is that none of these power-ups have any real effect on gameplay. The various swords all appear to dish out basically the same amount of damage.

Like most licensed games, The Shadow of Aku is a collect-a-thon with simple combat, basic platforming, and little innovation. This isn't a truly bad game, just a very uninspired one. The various combat systems all work perfectly, they're just shallow and a bit counter-intuitive. The difficulty level is hilariously low; on the hardest setting, it's still a cakewalk, on the lowest, it can be easily completed by someone in a coma. Strangely, young kids don't seem to be this title's target audience, based on the Teen rating. Overall, The Shadow of Aku comes across as an amazingly generic action title. It's a shame, as Samurai Jack is easily one of the most unique cartoons on the air today, so this could have been so much more.

Concept:
Take a Cartoon Network hero, dumb him down, and shove him in a generic third-person action title

Graphics:
The look is pretty faithful to the show, which sadly doesn't make for a good-looking game

Sound:
The music, sound effects, and voiceovers are all pretty minimal and forgettable

Playability:
The slightly bizarre control scheme works just fine, but it isn't exactly deep

Entertainment:
Even Samurai Jack fans will find themselves yawning through this one

Replay:
Low

Rated: 6 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss
Issue: May 2004

2nd Opinion:
Every single one of the four points I'm giving this game is for the animations seen in sakai mode. Sakai, apparently, makes time slow down and allows Jack to execute some really nice kung fu-inspired moves. But to be kind, the rest of Samurai Jack's latest outing is less than inspiring. There are hub worlds. I really thought that we were past all of that sometime back in 2001. I don't want my missions doled out by ungrateful villagers in such a predictable and linear fashion. In addition, although the look of the game kind of resembles the show, it ends up just looking gross.

Rated: 4 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason

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