Zen: Intergalactic Ninja Overview
Zen: Intergalactic Ninja is a side-scrolling action game adapted from a comic. The player controls Zen, a ninja dispatched by aliens to combat pollution on Earth, with his ultimate target being the entity known as Lord Contaminous. The core mechanics involve running, jumping, and attacking with a photon stick, supplemented by various power-ups collected during play.
Mission objectives and environments vary significantly. One assignment involves navigating a toxic factory under a time limit to plant explosives while avoiding robotic security and hazardous machinery. Another stage is set in a forest damaged by acid rain, where the ninja must both defend against floating devices and use his weapon to restore plant life.
The gameplay shifts to an isometric perspective for certain sequences, such as a mission on a burning offshore oil rig. Here, the focus is on rescuing workers and using fire extinguisher items while evading animated oil slicks and falling fire. A later segment, described as the High Speed Railway stage, tasks Zen with stopping the spread of nuclear waste from a mining cart, requiring precise jumps to navigate underground hazards and combat enemies in similar vehicles. The diverse obstacles across these environments imply a challenging pace.
