Reception
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon sold 55,000 units in America and 141,000 units in Japan. American reviewers praised the game's story and setting for its quirky, unique flavor; Nintendo Power called Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon a "blend of history, fantasy, and science fiction," writing that the game "never failed to enchant or intrigue." Dialogue was considered likably memorable, whether relying on clever puns or surrealist humor. The Japanese songs in Mystical Ninja's title and Impact sequences, unusual to Western audiences, augmented the bizarre humor. One Japanese reviewer claimed the Impact song cultivated a heroic atmosphere for ensuing battles. Gameplay was similar to that of Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda series, offering responsive play control and ability-driven progression. Mystical Ninja featured a simple controller setup and easy learning curve to this end. The minigames, Impact sequences, and secret tournament mode bolstered replay value, and reviewers praised the game's graphical finesse in animating characters creating the Japanese countryside in three dimensions. A reviewer for The News Tribune considered the presentation "a terrific upgrade from the Super Nintendo version". However, the game was found to be prone to slow-downs in detail-heavy areas, and one reviewer decried the inability to pause the game during Impact battles. Another found play control "not as fluid as it is in Super Mario 64".
Critics enjoyed the soundtrack's integration of pop and shamisen-laden traditional Japanese music. A writer for IGN declared that the songs would "permanently burn themselves into your brain...something that can't be said for most N64 titles"—echoed by Japanese reviewers who noted that the music would not grow tiresome. Mystical Ninja was also commended for high-quality voice samples and sound effects. Reviewers were divided concerning the efficiency of the camera system—most considered it inferior to Super Mario 64's, citing instances of clipping issues and resulting "extremely difficult" platform jumping sequences. The game features a few sequences of long travel between towns, regarded as dull and unenjoyable. Reviewers disapproved of the game's short play time, estimating that Mystical Ninja could be completed in only ten to fifteen hours. The objections came in spite of the developers anticipating the problem and trying to mitigate it by requiring players to return to certain locations. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon requires a Controller Pak to save—a rarity in early Nintendo 64 titles which garnered negative attention from both American and Japanese critics. One reviewer decried not being able to save his progress inside castles, which become "harder and more complex" with time. Reviewers fluent with past Ganbare Goemon games argued that the absence of the series' usually intuitive minigames and a two-player mode hampered Mystical Ninja's replay value, and a Japanese reviewer felt that the transition to three dimensions had deprived the game of the traditional Goemon feel.
Mystical Ninja's localization was criticized often. The plot and poorly-translated jokes tended to confuse players. A critic for The Tampa Tribune wrote, "upon popping in the...cartridge and listening to the opening theme song, you'll realize something about this game. It's Japanese." He added, "attempts at humor often come across as rather inane. Early conversations with village residents only add to the confusion." Others countered that the strange localization often compounded the surrealist humor through the use of weird, unusual English and grammar. One critic stressed, "talk to everyone you meet... Everybody has something interesting to say." A writer from GameSpot remarked that the game was translated surprisingly well given the sheer amount of Japanese jokes and innuendo. Next Generation Magazine lamented that Konami had not polished it more, holding that it otherwise might have been the "best N64 action/RPG". IGN's reviewer cautioned that though Mystical Ninja was billed as a role-playing game, it would differ from the expectations of Western fans. Critics noted that it would hold over gamers until the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time—provided they played it with an open mind to avoid culture shock. A contributor for The Dallas Morning News concluded that the game "will please N64 owners starving for a decent adventure game... But players should rent it before they buy." A reviewer for the Sentinel & Enterprise wrote in 2001 that while considered a "flawed 3D platformer", Mystical Ninja offered "quirky" fun "following the heels of Super Mario 64" by inviting players to "scale mountains, invade pagodas, and pilot giant robots in all-out fisticuffs to the rhythm of Japanese lyrics and pop tunes." The game is rated 73.8% at GameRankings and receives an 8.4 out of 10 rating by players at GameSpot.
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