A Master at Work

I like video games. I'm just not good at video games. Sure, I can hold my own against another mid-tier player in a versus fighter like Darkstalkers or Street Fighter Alpha, but I don't have the patience or the mad skillz to make it through something especially long and challenging.

I'll tell you, though, it's a lot of fun watching someone who does. Take this playthrough of the fiercely tough Sega arcade title Shinobi, for instance. YouTube user "Sub-Zero Lin Kuei" storms through the first two missions using close quarters combat against the mooks, and even has the nads to kick towering samurai Ken-Oh in the face! It's a beautiful thing. Shinobi used to regularly humiliate me when I was a teenager, but this guy has the game wrapped around his finger. Just... just watch.

The Master System version of Shinobi had a life bar, but Sub-Zero doesn't need one. He makes it through the playthrough without losing a life and with limited use of the "ninja magic" that scrubs the screen of foes. Heaven knows I was using it every chance I got.

So yeah, before I go, I should probably mention that there's a summer sale on PSN over the next two weeks. You can get dozens of games at steep discounts, including Street Fighter V, Grim Fandango Remastered, Mega Man Legends, and... uh... Monster Monpiece. (Don't get that.) It's a nice complement to Steam's summer picnic sale, and a hell of a lot better than what Microsoft is offering this week.