DS puts idle, killer thumbs to use in 'unemployed ninja' game

Giving people the sack is never easy – at least that's what our bosses tell us. Though you'd have to be pretty stupid to fire a ninja.

Assuming you were sensible enough not to do it in person – thus saving yourself the significant inconvenience of being sliced and diced on the spot – you'd never sleep with your window open again.

So if you think of playing a ninja game, being an unemployed one isn't the sort of thing that immediately springs to mind.

For obscuro US roleplaying game publisher Atlus, however, such considerations are the very meat and drink of its business. If it's not popular, it must be niche, but if it's niche, you can make it popular – so the thinking goes.

Still, when it comes to Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja, an action roleplaying game from Japanese gamemaker Success, you might think even a publisher skilled at exploiting a niche fanbase would struggle to make something of such a title. A game about a legendary unemployed bloke? Sounds more like something out of Eastenders.

Good thing, then, that from what we've seen, the game itself promises to turn such first impressions on their head. For one thing, Izuna is a girl ninja – a feisty, Tank Girl-esque one (ask your dad) who talks like a mallrat (expect such gems as "Holy Crow, that's a lot of makeup you've got on there," and, "We were canned because 'Ninjas are sooo yesterday'").

As for the plot, Izuna's been fired by her Lord, and decides, with her other lady ninja chums, to settle down in a little village. Only everyone's acting weird, so Izuna has to work out what's going on by venturing into dungeons and bashing the evil creatures she finds down there.

Of course, this being an RPG, there will be plenty of levelling up and customising your weapons. And magic features, too, as you can use a talisman to either directly cast spells or buff up your equipment.

The graphical style is neat, with a 2D sprite-based approach giving the artists plenty of opportunity to create some interesting characters, and also playing its part in that extent will be the punchy plot and dialogue. As Izuna interacts with the villagers, they say things such as, "Every girl in the village has rejected me," and, "Now my balding worries are over, I can focus on watching Tsubaki". Classic RPG stuff.

In fact, the only fly in the Izuna ointment appears to be the uncertainty over whether it will get a European release. Atlus only publishes games in North America, where Izuna will be out next summer. Click on the 'Track It!' button though, and we'll keep you up to date with any developments closer to home.