Kasumi Ninja is a video game franchise that was first released in 1994 for the Atari Jaguar console. The game was developed by Hand Made Software and published by Atari Corporation. It is a fighting game that takes place in a fantasy world that is based on Scottish mythology.
The game's backstory is centered around a group of warriors known as the Kasumi clan. The clan is dedicated to protecting the world from evil, and they have been training for generations to perfect their fighting skills. However, an evil sorcerer named Moriah has arisen, and he seeks to destroy the world and conquer it for himself.
The primary protagonist of the game is named Ryu, who is a member of the Kasumi clan. He is a skilled fighter who has been tasked with defeating Moriah and saving the world. Along the way, Ryu must battle various opponents, each with their own unique fighting style and special moves.
The game also features other playable characters, such as Claude, a French knight, and Pakawa, a Native American warrior. Each character has their own backstory and motivations for joining the fight against Moriah.
Kasumi Ninja was praised for its colorful graphics, unique character designs, and its fast-paced and engaging gameplay. The game also featured a variety of game modes, including a story mode, a tournament mode, and a two-player versus mode.
Despite its positive reception, Kasumi Ninja was not a commercial success, and it remains a relatively obscure title in the fighting game genre. The game's legacy is mainly that it was one of the few fighting games available for the Atari Jaguar console, which struggled to gain traction in the video game market.
The franchise did not see any sequels or spin-offs, and it remains a one-off title in the Atari library. However, the game's unique blend of Scottish mythology and martial arts may still hold appeal for fans of the fighting game genre, and it remains a curiosity for collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts.
Overall, Kasumi Ninja is a notable but overlooked entry in the fighting game genre. Its unique blend of Scottish mythology and martial arts, along with its engaging gameplay and colorful graphics, helped it stand out from other titles in the genre at the time of its release. Despite its lack of commercial success, the game remains a curiosity and a piece of video game history for fans of the Atari Jaguar console.