This game was so wonderful, I'm happy to see it for VC. It's the SNES game I play the most. A great game for multiplayer ! Konami haven't released new Goemon games since the n64, I'm sad

your wrong djinn, there was a mystical ninja starring goemon for the NDS, its in japanese but still excellent

YES! I never got a chance to play this game but the "Mystical Ninja" titles for the N64 rocked. Looking forward to this one.

Can't beleive this games is gonna make it to VC. My childhood would have never been the same without that game ;D

Oh yes! i love this game. I had it on american import when it was first released and spent countless weekends on it. My friends loved it, i loved it and the humour and gameplay were top-notch. An absolute must. ;D

please come out this game is fantastic love the 2 player aswell i wonder when it will be resleased the sooner the better

Hopefully, they get around to porting the N64 game to the VC. I never got to play that despite owning an N64 (I think it was called mystical ninja - starring Goemon).

Ganbare Goeman games have always been good (with the possible exception of Goemon 2 on N64 which was v disappointing). But defintely one of the best SNES games of all time, can't wait

Actually i've been hunting on the Ganbare Goemons 2,3,4 for years now (AKA mystical ninja's) and i got them like alst year when my friend went to japan, and he bought them for me like new for like 25 a piece and now my collection is complete

Mystical ninja is that kind of game that makes you cry,
off those times lost in the past -_-

Co-op games never get any better then this

Does anybody know if this game runs at 50hz or if it's been updated to run at 60hz?

The N64 title "Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon" is one of my favourite games ever, so I just had to download the prequel.

What can I say? Well deserving of 5 stars.

Crap, not in USA... the 2.5D game was my second game for 64... still the best platformer ever made (-besides Castlevania -).

It's wonderful to see so much love for Ganbare Goemon, as it is one of my favorite series ever. Can't wait for this one to come to the North American VC.

Do I download this tonight, or get super mario 64 again? I have mario on n64, and DS, but I want it on VC too, the DS ones different!
This game looks good, but I'm really not sure what to expect, so I'm nervous about downloading. What should I do?

Everyone should get this game - so don't delay. There is loads to it and it will keep you occupied for ages and is really fun - especially in two player co-op! I had the original and I am looking forward to going through it again. Some of the later platform levels are amazing!

I'd love the sequels on the Super Famicom to be translated for Virtual Console.

5/5 perfect rating. Agreed! I have the cart lol.

There are more than 20 Ganbare Goemon video games released in Japan. But only five of them were released all around the world. This one is the first. The others are two on N64 and two on GB (with one only in a Konami GB Collection Volume). It was my favorite video games series when I was younger and if Konami had continued to release Goemon games in America, it would perhaps always be my favorite series.

ah, Mystical Ninja, I loved the N64 version as a kid, and still do, I actually still have Goemon's Great Adventure, I just beat it. This game is awesome, 5/5, I prayed for this game to be on the VC.Now for the N64 version...

Can't wait to download. I own the N64 game and that was really fun back in the day.

The dialog in the opening sequence had me rolling on the floor laughing. This game is really fun and creative. You have to love the facial expressions the characters make when they attack or get hit.

Mystical Ninja 2 Starring Goemon (N64) was bad because it was cut! That was such a disappointment since the greatest thing about the first Game for N64 AND the second game were the great songs and their performance cutscene! The second game had none of them (US/PAL).

If it ever comes for VC I pray it has all the cutscenes and songs in it like the 1st one.

But anyway, while the 1st one was a very fun action/ adventure the 2nd installment was a super fun co-op-platfomer/ adventure.
This SNES-Mystical Ninja is more like the second N64-game. And it's the first Mystical Ninja ever released in US/PAL.
It's very funny! but this first game is the hardest one.

I love the Goemon character, but I long thought that this game did not look appealing. The site review makes it seem like a Pocky and Rocky kind of game (Pocky and Rocky 2 for SNES is a sick little game) so I'm going to gamble my Wii bling and try it out. I'll 'review' it more later.

This game is a MUST it has plenty of mini-games, playing styles and it's sense of humor make it a great game, I loved the first one for the n64 and it was great!,sadly never got a chance to play the second one for the n64, but I'd love to see them being released on the Wii vc.

Cool, but I hope that the N64, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, comes out as well as I am looking forward for that one.

I love this game. It's not as good as DKC, but still worth a download! (Is there a Castlevania minigame? If so, where is it?)

One of the greatest games ever for the SNES! Too bad they didn't release more like they did in Japan...

Is that an octorok in the second screen?

Not so legendary.
Kinda boring and repetitive with some truly fantastic gameplay moments thrown in here and there. If you can wade through the muck you may find a few choice catches here, but it’s not really worth the time or the points in my opinion. Not with so many other great choices on the VC.
Are you sure Nintendo won't accept refunds?...

Initially, the Legend of the Mystical Ninja may have you nodding off to sleep, but like some bizarre, surreal dream it'll creep up on you and mess with your head. Mental, weird, inexplicable, eccentric and positively mad! Yet inventive, challenging, exciting and downright fun! Don't miss out!

Sorry to go overboard with the adjectives!

Somethings that make this game unique are: mini-games available(a small version of Gradius is included!), unique songs for every stage, shops, secret entrances, every boss fight is different and unique. Trust us, spending $8 on this is worth the every penny. Since its very japanese gameplay...where's my two Pocky and Rocky SNES games?

I don't have much experience with arcade-style games but I found this one to be pretty fun. I like the music and the general look of the game. I haven't made it very far though, someday I'll start again and just try and plough my way through it. Getting yourself positioned just right for a hit in these kind of games is always kind of tricky.

What's the co-op mode like? I have hazy memories of playing this on someone else's SNES back in the day, and fondly remember the side-on platforming sections...

And just how much would the original get me on ebay?

Can anyone offer any insights for a man and wife team playing this versus, say, playing Kirby's Dream Course?

Or how about this versus Bomberman '93 two player?

Please advise...I am looking for cutesy-and-addictive games to lure my wife in with.

Thank you.

I've just downloaded this as I'm having a "sick day" and intend to finish before the night is out!

I loved this game back in the day

Just completed the game. I must admit that while this is an excellent game, it's a bit short.

I love this game!
I hope the N64 game comes!!

I love this game!
I hope the N64 game comes to the VC!

Boring, not as humorous as I was lead to believe, and somewhat tough. I didn't understand the password system. I played for about 2 hours and was disappointed. 3/10

agree 100% with kingston. i was SO pissed when i thought i saved my game, only to come back to it and learn that i had to start from the beginning of the game. what were they thinking when they came up with that save system?

i can't recommend this game to anyone, i'm so very sorry i wasted 8 dollars on this game, i only did so because of all the positive feedback i got from this forum.

should have added: get wonder boy in monster world for the sega genesis if you like this kind of game, it's leaps and bounds better than this one.

@aut0matic-Yeah, the password is a pain. Start from the beginning? There's two kind of stages, the exploring stage(where you start, buy, mini-games and save) and the 2D side scrolling one. To get to the side scrolling is a cake walk from the exploring part. To save, find the password receptionist, tell her to make note of your adventures, it will give you the password screen, exit the game by "Home menu" then clicking "Wii Menu", when you start the rom again, there should be a sentence at the main menu saying "Continue" and it will ask you from where. If you dont exit properly from the game after "making a note of your adventure"(saving),like turning off the Wii, it will not save, this apply to all games.

I don't see all the hype. Cheesy, but wasn't that funny. Also, the developers overlooked the fact that the game was unplayable.

Gameplay: 3.6/10
Audio:6/10
Graphics: 6/10
Humor: none/10
Lasting Appeal: You must be kidding me/10
Total: <0/10

unplayable couthedman92 what are you talking about is your controller not plugged in.

Haha, "overlooked the fact that the game was unplayable", thats funny shit.
Hate me, but I kind of agree. Always gawked over this game in Nintendo Power when I was young, so I bought it first thing when it dropped on VC. But, alas...boring, too many shops...

@ couthedman... I agree completely! but graphics AND audio 6/10??? considering that Dk country came out much earlier (right?) and had much much better of both... audio ~0/10 and graphics? just beats Kirby. the NES one. play time? until u game-over 'bout 4 times (Max) and the fact it can't save reeeeaaaaly gets 2 u.

this sonufabitch of a game wasted my last 800 points... so i have only 200 points left!!! Not enough to by Majoras Mask or Pilotwings64 wich i was saving up for... so I need to somehow get more money off of my ageing relatives who live in different sides of the world to me!

yeah this games no great shakes.. i thought itd be a fun co-op game but unless you and your partner are real good at the game and dont mind wasting a bunch of time walking around in shops and playin the lottery then its not that fun.... i hate how you lose your weapon and your sandals when you get hit... by the time me and my buddy would get upgraded enough to where we could go play a level we would get hit and lose all our stuff on the way to it...

Keep on preachin' couthedman92, keep on preachin'.

Just doin' my job, Kingston, just doin' my job.

Geez, how is this game unplayable?

Anyway, I picked this up on the VC over a year ago. I had played both N64 Goemans but sadly had missed out on this one when it had come out, so I was hoping I could enjoy some early Goeman greatness. I wasn't too pleased. The platforming sections (side-scrollers) were excellent, but once a town came, it began a grind match to gather money, health, armor, and lives. Half of the time all that health and lives I bought would just go to waste because the rabid villagers would cut me down before I could make it to the side-scrolling stage. I was frustrated at times to say the least.

Still, this game is nowhere near unplayable. It has a collision detection problem here and there but everything else is pretty darn smooth. As for the graphics and music, both are pretty good as well. The main killer of this game is half the gameplay is fun, the other half isn't. It was the same for co-op for me.

Don't get this game if you fondly remember the N64 versions. This game is more for the people who like beat-em-ups.

Seeing as people have rated this such things as "You must be kidding me/10," I'll give it "It's only kidding some of us slightly/10."

@Virus
I didn't mean unplayable in the glitchy sense, but more in the sense that it's repetitive, bland, cheap, and generally terrible.

I'm not that great at video games so I would like to know how difficult this game is.

@swordplay

If you have someone else to play with, it'll definitely make the game easier. You see, the thing is, you have to spend a bunch of time collecting money to buy armor, other equipment and more health so the side scrolling levels would be much easier. It's an outstanding game though, outstanding. It just requires a little patience

I downloaded this game some days ago. I find it a really nice game, but a little bit frustrating. Ok, I'm not exactly a "pro-gamer", but It's easy to lose lives in platform sections (or falling down from some fucking mobile platforms if you don't perform a jump exactly in that pixel) and so annoying when you have to do again the entire level, starting from the beginning. I'll try hard!

I didn't want to buy this. My friend came over and insisted- he even told me he would buy his OWN Classic Controller if I would do it (he doesn't own a Wii, he said he would leave the controller at my place). So I did it. And?

I WILL NEVER PLAY THIS GAME ALONE. I hate it. It is only bearable with a second player, and even then, I have a friend who has played and beat this game before, so that makes it a little easier. If I had to do this on my own, you'd better believe I'd put the controller down after a few minutes.

This is coming from a guy who has no problem grinding through Final Fantasy (NES), Zelda II, Metroid or any other games that demand commitment and challenging gameplay. I really just don't care (and don't see why I SHOULD care) about either of these characters, and, seeing as I'm not Japanese, I don't have a cultural resonance with this mythology. I actually have an interest in learning about all sorts of mythologies, but this game is not the venue of choice. I would recommend to all who read this (and are considering this purchase) to really consider this point.

Read what everyone else has said and understand that there is porbably a 50-50 chance you might like this game. It could go either way. This is such a niche type of game that you've got to consider yourself adventurous as a gamer/consumer. I'm not saying people CAN'T like the game, and clearly there are many (specifically those listed here, and my friend) but you should consider yourself warned.

I was tempted to buy this, but all the negative comments veered me off. Thanks to all the honest posters.

Cool trivia!
The raccoon dog at the beginning of the stage you know the statue. Is called a Tanooki in Japan, and a tanooki is a suit in SMB3 .
Japan is so awesome!

I would like to compare this game to pounding a nail in to concrete with your head.

This game is fun as! Except I can't get past the first level in 1player..... haha the boss is too hard!

Since I've played it on a friends SNES I knew this game was gonna be rock hard. But I love Goemon since I got the two N64 games.

Three basic rules of how you make this game enjoyable:

1. GRINDING

Collect lots of money to buy the best armor, food, shoes and all the special items. If you bought everything in a stage, avoid all the enemies and make your way to the password merchant and receive your fully-equipped bad-ass password for that stage! With full energy and inventory, you'll be glad your game is saved and you can move on to the action stage! The best way to collect money is to do it in front of the password house, so you can save at any moment.

(And yeah, collect as many extra lives as possible and then save the game - if you lose a life, just restart - makes the game a lot easier in the later stages). If you die by accident and lose all your inventory just kill yourself and continue the game from the title menu, so it will pick off from the last time you visited the password building. (Writing down the lengthy password and typing it in can be more time consuming than just killing off your character.)

Don't forget to press the Home-Button and go back to the Wii menu, otherwise you will lose all your progress. If you are likely to forget, it might be handy to write down the password occasionally (preferabyl once each stage).

2. MAPS

The town layouts aren't very confusing but it's better to know where to go and where the different shops are! There's some backtracking between shops and the password residence. Especially in the last stage, there are some hidden passageways and you'll want to draw some basic routes.

3. NO COOPERATION

Don't try to beat the game in the 2-player-mode! Co-op is very distracting and is only fun if you have a second player that knows this game by heart. If you play it with your little sister she will die instantly and then she'll sucks away your lives. The co-op mode is only for really good players.

I have beaten the game following these rules.
And yeah it's a bit confusing at first in how the password system works, but it's just like you would save your game.
Playing that way (and only that way) makes the game actually very fun.
If you don't follow these rules I undertstand how the game can be very frustrating.

Would love to see the N64 iterations make it to the VC.