The opening FMV gives you a hint of what to expect, terrible graphics, blander than bland character design and stiff animation that would make a statue look like a child after three pints of Lucozade and a Mars bar for kicks. It's also set in a near future city in Japan, or so you'd guess in the opening.
After choosing one of your generic characters you find out that the actual game is set in pre-rendered feudal Japan, complete with bargain bin Ninja and Samurai goons for you to wade through. At first I though the grass and dirt levels were just part of the first world, of which the box claims there are six, and that they are massive. Were it true that this map is indeed the first world I'd agree it was massive, but it turns out it was the only world, and the short segments, of which there was more than 8, were pretty short. Perhaps a blessing as the gameplay is so boring and repetitive I was glad to see the credits.
If you do get this game play as the trench coat guy or the yellow coated girl, they're the fastest characters in the game and aren't too bad. All the other characters just get slower, ending up with boring gameplay that doesn't deserve your money at all.
If you want a co-op beat-em-up with varied locations, impressive level and character design, great animation, and above all, slick, fun gameplay on your PS2 then buy Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, and if it's for your kids buy any of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games.
