The Magical Ninjya: Jiraiya Kenzan [PS2 – Cancelled]

The Magical Ninjya: Jiraiya Kenzan [PS2 – Cancelled]

The Magical Ninjya: Jiraiya Kenzan (also know as Magical Ninja Ji Rai Ya) is a cancelled action game / platform that was in development in 2002 / 2003 by Capcom Production Studio 3 for the Playstation 2. The project was announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2003 but it soon vanished from Capcom’s release list and in the end Jiraiya was canned for unknown reasons. The gameplay would have probably been similar to the Mystical Ninja Goemon series or  i-Ninja, with an interesting coop multiplayer mode for 2 players.

Players would also been able to summon beasts to help in battles, and earn new beasts by beating the game’s bosses. The 2° player in coop mode could have chose if being another ninja or if using one of these beasts.

Originally Capcom released few screens, some artworks and a trailer of Jiraiya Kenzan, but sadly only the images are preserved in the  gallery below. The trailer (that was once available at Capcom’s official website) it’s now gone, so if you still have a high-quality copy of this (the file was named jiraiya_320.mpg), please let us know! The game’s characters were designed by Susumu Matsushita, the artist responsible for the design in Capcom’s Maximo series.

Thanks to Userdante, Celine, Maik and Sam Jones  for the contributions!

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6 thoughts on “The Magical Ninjya: Jiraiya Kenzan [PS2 – Cancelled]

  1. Sam Jones

    A little bit more about the story:
    —————————————
    As part of a TGS pre-conference briefing held earlier today in Tokyo, Capcom gave the world its first look at The Magical Ninja: Ji Rai Ya. This title, described by producer Koji Nakajima as a “quick and thrilling action game,” puts players in the role of a ninja named Ji Rai Ya,. The game allows you to do all sorts of ninja-ish things, like disappearing into a puff of smoke and walking on water. Fans of Mega Man will also be pleased to see that you can steal the powers of bosses that you’ve defeated and make use of them in later stages.

    Characters should be recognizable to fans of Japan’s Weekly Famitsu magazine and Maximo. Matsushita Susumo, who does the covers for Famitsu and the character designs for Maximo is the character designer for this game. He’s not just designing the hero though, as enemies which take the form of such traditional foes as Dracula and Kabuki warriors were also designed by him.

    Two player simultaneous play and a stylized cartoon look make us want to get our hands on this game. Check out the first screens of this game at the below link while waiting for more details. A Japanese release date is scheduled for 2004.
    ———————–
    From IGN

  2. Maik

    The story of Jiraiya takes place in ‘Jappon’ where an over-cautious Shogun holds power over the people. Jiraiya is a magical ninja who possesses awesome ninjitsu fighting techniques. He also carries the all powerful Sword of Ibuki and is able to summon magical beasts.

    One day, Jiraiya receives a short and mysterious letter from his long lost parents. ‘Come see us,’ it says. Jiraiya now decides he must find his parents at all costs. However, it appears that an evil plot has been hatched by Ojamato to prevent Jiraiya from reaching his parents.

    Can Jiraiya save his parents? And what is the evil plan of Ojamato? In a world full of magical ninjutsu and fantasy, Jiraiya’s dramatic action adventure has begun!

  3. Maik

    At a press event held just prior to the 2003 Tokyo Game Show, Capcom has announced a new PlayStation 2 action game called Jiraiya: The Magical Ninja. The game’s characters have been designed by Susumu Matsushita, the man responsible for the character design in Capcom’s Maximo series.

    Not a lot of actual gameplay was shown at the event, but the basic concept of Jiraiya is to deliver a quick and thrilling action game. As a ninja, players will be able to execute various ninja moves, including the ability to walk on water, hang from ceilings, and disappear in a puff of smoke. You will also be able to summon beasts, which is a pretty big part of the gameplay. Your beasts will fight alongside you, and you can earn new beasts by beating the game’s boss characters. The bosses, part of an evil organization known as Ojamato, are designed to be slightly reminiscent of other popular characters. You’ll face a kabuki-style boss, a boss based on Dracula, and more. The game takes place on land most of the time, but you’ll also fight enemies from inside a boat or on a plane.

    The game can be played simultaneously by two players in a cooperative fashion, and it sounds like you’ll have the option of both taking on ninja roles or having one player play the ninja while the other controls a beast. The game has a cooperation gauge that fills as you execute combos. When it’s full, Jiraiya can execute a special cooperative attack with whichever beast is currently in use.

    Jiraiya: The Magical Ninja is being developed with a wide audience in mind, meaning the game should be accessible to kids as well as adults. The game is currently planned to be released in Japan sometime in 2004. No release details for North America have been announced at this time, but it’s expected that it will, eventually, make its way across the Pacific.

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