Shin Samurai Jazz

About

"Shin Samurai Jazz" is a platform-adventure game that combines film noir and samurai cinema with 8-bit graphics and an electro-jazz soundtrack. It features chuunori-inspired platforming and combat mechanics, allowing for aerial combos and enemy juggling. The game offers complex puzzles and varied level designs for players to overcome. Explore and free an 8-bit city from its pixelated nightmare in this unique and exciting adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

55%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

music11 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The platforming mechanics are enjoyable and provide a nostalgic retro feel, reminiscent of classic games.
The game features a unique atmosphere with a noir aesthetic and a jazz-inspired soundtrack that enhances the experience.
At its low price point, the game offers decent content and can be a fun challenge for players who appreciate retro-style platformers.

The combat mechanics are overly simplistic and often frustrating, lacking depth and variety, which detracts from the overall experience.
The controls can feel stiff and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay moments, especially during platforming sections.
The game suffers from poor design choices, such as a lack of a visible health bar and inconsistent enemy AI, which can lead to confusion and unfair deaths.

music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
52%
10%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its unique electro-jazz style that enhances the atmosphere, while others find it generic or reminiscent of elevator music. Although the soundtrack is described as decent and enjoyable, it often fails to elevate the gameplay experience significantly. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, it does not compensate for its perceived lack of depth.
- “It combines the likes of film noir and samurai cinema, presenting them with 8-bit graphics, an electro-jazz soundtrack, and a comic/manga-like style creating a unique atmosphere.”
- “The world of Shin Samurai Jazz is a noir pulp novel steeped in jazz age chic, with a rather Moby-esque low-key electro-jazz soundtrack that anchors one in tones of rainy streets at night, distant music and laughter, secrets and mysteries.”
- “Great music, great feel on the game since it reminds me of the older games you used to play 30 years ago.”
- “The music in the game ranges from being so generic you don’t even notice it, to being weird and unpleasant to listen to.”
- “It certainly has a very definite style, but it's mostly elevator music.”
- “The presentation kinda sucks, the visuals are all reused from the first game, as is the soundtrack, and everything looks very samey and kind of bland.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
77%
12%
Gameplay in "Shin Samurai Jazz" has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the new platforming mechanics inspired by traditional kabuki techniques, while others find the combat awkward and the level design repetitive. The transition from a side-scrolling beat-em-up to a platformer has been seen as a positive change by some, but issues with timing and jumping mechanics detract from the overall experience. While the ambiance and soundtrack are praised, many feel the gameplay lacks depth and can become tedious.
- “I really liked the gameplay, ambiance, and just general feel of Shin Samurai Jazz, so I was pretty excited to play the sequel...”
- “Ironically enough, this switch in gameplay mechanics actually works for the better, when compared to its predecessor: you won't accidentally access some areas by mistake and there aren't that many issues caused by perspective, for you only go right, left, and jump.”
- “While the adventure elements remain intact, the puzzles are more complex with varied level designs and enemy placements/attack patterns that make use of the game's mechanics.”
- “The combat mechanics feel awkward and unnatural.”
- “The big letdown here is that Shin Samurai Jazz is not a side-scrolling beat-em-up like the previous game, but a Meat Boy style platformer with some beat-em-up mechanics.”
- “Game looks stylish but gameplay is boring and animations are horrible.”
story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
59%
24%
The game's story is widely criticized for being vague, unengaging, and often serving merely as a backdrop for repetitive gameplay. Many players found the narrative lacking depth, with minimal dialogue and linear quests that failed to provide a compelling experience. Overall, the story is seen as an afterthought, overshadowed by poor combat mechanics and frustrating controls.
- “I expected it to be like 'you are actually dead', or 'the crazy demon magic in the air has been affecting you'... the story is still good, better than the first, (no spoilers) but the ending is just weird.”
- “I love it, the feel, the story, the action.”
- “I liked the achievements for fewer deaths, having bosses at points other than just the end of the game, and a little more 'story' to explain some of the weirdness.”
- “I have no idea what the story was about but it really didn't matter.”
- “The game has no story or purpose.”
- “The story is simply an excuse to get you from place to place, doing the same things over and over again.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro pixel art style reminiscent of NES and SNES titles, which some players appreciate for its nostalgic charm, while others find it outdated and lacking in resolution options. While the art style effectively captures the essence of older games, the overall presentation has been criticized for being bland and repetitive, with a poorly designed menu that detracts from the experience. Overall, the graphics may appeal to fans of retro aesthetics but may not satisfy those seeking modern visual fidelity.
- “The art style might not be for everyone, but it fits very well.”
- “It didn't simply take the aesthetic of older games (which it did perfectly), but instead designed the game to feel like something you might have gotten from the NES or SNES.”
- “It combines the likes of film noir and samurai cinema, presenting them with 8-bit graphics, an electro-jazz soundtrack, and a comic/manga-like style creating a unique atmosphere.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “The presentation kinda sucks; the visuals are all reused from the first game, as is the soundtrack, and everything looks very samey and kind of bland.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
25%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is a captivating blend of film noir and samurai cinema, enhanced by 8-bit graphics and an electro-jazz soundtrack, creating a unique and immersive experience. Players appreciate its chill vibe, which complements the active gameplay and helps to uplift their mood, while the diverse combat styles of enemies add variety to the encounters. Overall, the game's thematic elements and distinctive atmosphere resonate strongly with players, making it a standout title in the genre.
- “It combines the likes of film noir and samurai cinema, presenting them with 8-bit graphics, an electro-jazz soundtrack, and a comic/manga-like style, creating a unique atmosphere.”
- “I love how this guy is a jazz samurai; not only is it really unique (have you ever heard of a jazz samurai?), but the atmosphere is just so perfect, everything fits right into it.”
- “The atmosphere drips, and the mixture of goons and yokai encountered, with their markedly different combat styles, keep the fights interesting and particularly varied.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly in the final platforming room, which features a frustrating combat section and challenging pixel-perfect jumps. While not excessively difficult, the grinding can feel repetitive and annoying after completing certain levels.
- “It's a short but tedious operation.”
- “Especially after completing those more tedious levels.”
- “And the very last platforming room has a tedious combat section followed by a sequence of jumps, one of the basically pixel-perfect, that's really annoying.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is often associated with the creation of low-effort, retro-style games that are perceived as cash grabs, suggesting a negative view of its monetization practices.
- “The monetization strategy feels like a blatant cash grab, prioritizing profits over player experience.”
- “In-game purchases are so aggressive that it ruins the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The reliance on microtransactions makes it feel like the game is designed to extract money rather than provide fun.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report stability issues, particularly with buggy controls and unexpected enemy respawns in outdoor areas, indicating a need for updates to improve gameplay consistency.
- “It needs an update; the controls are buggy, and I don't understand why the enemies respawn when they are outside. It's frustrating.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”