Which is better? Inindo: Way of the Ninja or New Horizons

Inindo: Way of the Ninja and Uncharted Waters: New Horizons were both made by Koei and released in the early 1990s. Both games are open world RPGs, which is something totally different from other RPGs on the SNES. They do have some significant differences.

Inindo is an odd game, but it has some very good things in it. New Horizons is a very unique game, and the one that I’ve played more. These games are both rather odd, as they feel like they’re going on inside another Koei game.

This one might be a little odd because of how unique these games are. The more games I play on the SNES, the more I realize they had some strange RPGs. I’m more familiar with the popular ones, which play quite differently from many of the second tier RPGs.

Several companies tried to get in on the growing popularity of the genre on the home console. Many of the games that were brought over had serious issues. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with these two.

Game Descriptions/Overviews

There is so much I can say about these two games. Because they’re both from Koei they’re “historical games.” I love this type of game because they’re one of the things that got me interested in studying history.

Inindo is an alternate history game where Oda Nobunaga doesn’t die when he’s supposed to. You play as a ninja who is on a quest for revenge. During the game, you can have an impact on the politics of Japan as you gather the skills needed to defeat Nobunaga. There is a heavy focus on magic and mysticism in this game.

New Horizons is an alternate history game with six stories. None of them is particularly long, but you can turn the game into a sandbox if you want. The player can be a pirate, explorer, or merchant. There is a lot you can do, aside from one of the main stories.

Both games have to be completed in a set amount of time. They both give the player a long time to complete their goals, which is nice. There are also games going on in the background, which makes these games feel alive.

These are just brief descriptions of both games. They’re very unique games in this genre, which makes them fun to mess around with. While they have a few similarities, they have even more differences. Let’s get into some of the more significant differences.

Main Differences 

I’m going to try to keep this to three or four of the big things. These two games have quite a few differences. They have different stories, settings, and focuses. This was very hard to narrow down.

The stories are radically different from each other. Almost all of this has to do with New Horizons having six stories. A few of them overlap, but they’re still six separate tales. Inindo tells one story, and it is of a ninja learning the skills he needs to defeat Nobunaga. It is a fairly linear tale.

Both games are alternate history settings, but they’re centered in different areas. Inindo is set in Japan and has a game of Nobunaga’s Ambition going on in the background. New Horizons is set in the 1500s, but takes place on the high seas. This game feels like there is a game of Genghis Khan II happening in the background, but one that includes the entire world.

The two games focus on very different things. Inindo wants the player to explore Japan, engage in subterfuge, and learn what they need to so they can defeat Nobunaga. It feels more like an RPG. With New Horizons, the game leans heavily into exploration and letting the player do what they want, as well as having an overarching narrative. There are six scenarios, so you can have a few different stories.

Those are the significant things that stood out. There are a number of other things that I’ll get into in the next section. Let’s go over the core concepts and highlight a few more differences between these games.

Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)

I’ll touch on the core mechanics between these games. What I’ll mostly be doing is covering the differences in their combat, story, and graphics. While these are differences, they’re more minor than those in the section above.

Neither game has combat that I particularly like. It isn’t as good as what you’ll find in other games, like Final Fantasy, Robotrek, Paladin’s Quest, etc. Inindo’s is closer to what you’ll see in a console RPG, and New Horizon’s has more variety.

Inindo has one story running through the game, and New Horizons has six possible stories. They do overlap in some cases, which is kind of cool. Having six stories adds a lot of replay value to New Horizons.

Both games have a time limit, which is very interesting. If you take too long, then you’ll lose. This also lets the player mess around a lot during the game. This is more of a factor in New Horizons because there is more to do in that game.

The graphics are a little different. Both games have some awkward graphics in the towns. The way characters move is just odd. Overall, New Horizons has better graphics in most areas. Inindo has more creative and better looking enemies, mostly due to the fact that New Horizons has little to no fantasy elements to it, and a different combat system entirely.

These games are very different. While they have a few similarities, most of the things are unique to that game. This is one of the things that I like about both games. They’re very unique, and have some spectacular ideas.

What Does Inindo: Way of the Ninja do Better?

This game is more of what you might expect from an RPG. Inindo is a weird game that has some rather unique gameplay mechanics. Inindo has better combat, more cutscenes, and more playable characters. It feels more like an RPG when I compare the two games.

The combat in this game is turn-based. You have a party of three characters, and you fight up to three enemies at a time. It has an interesting battle screen where you can move your characters. It isn’t exactly like a tactical RPG, but it has something close to that. There is also a mix of magic and sword fighting, which is always nice to see.

Exploration is a big thing in both games, but only one of them has dungeons. Inindo has you looking for key items and fighting boss characters. The game plays like an extended training montage. It is something that you would expect to see in a game like this.

There are a few more cutscenes in this. It uses a few comic book cutscenes as well as in game graphics. These look a little better than what you’ll see in New Horizons.

Inindo has many more playable characters. Much of this has to do with the number of possible characters you can recruit along the way. Granted, you can only have three in your party, but you’ll meet dozens of possible party members. This lets you customize your party to some extent.

These are the more significant things that are better in Inindo: Way of the Ninja. There was a lot that I could bring up here, but I wanted to keep this brief. A few minor things were considered for this, but I left them out of this section. Let’s get into what New Horizons does better.

What Does Uncharted Waters: New Horizons do Better?

New Horizons does a better job of giving the player things to do. There is a heavier focus on exploration, trading, and politics. Some stories have the player doing more combat. The game has better graphics, more stories, and better play options aside from the main story.

I love the graphics in this game much more than those in Inindo. The character sprites, the world map, and towns look better. There is also more variety in the character sprites because they made new ones for each region.

There are more stories in this game. You have six main characters to choose from, and each has their own story. A few of them overlap with other characters in the game, which is a nice touch. It makes the game more fun to play, and I like the side quests as well. If you want, you can also use your imagination to make other stories.

New Horizons has more options for gameplay. While each character has a main story, you can ignore it for a while as you try to rise through the ranks of nobility, become a merchant, or go to war with some pirates. Heck, you can be a pirate yourself!

There are a lot of things that New Horizons does to stand out from a very crowded field of RPGs. While it isn’t in the upper tier of the genre on the SNES, it definitely is on the Genesis. It brings a lot to the table in terms of gameplay and gives the player the freedom to do what they want.

Which is Better Overall and Why? 

If I look at these games as RPGs, then Inindo is the better one. When I think of what a console RPG is, it has more of what I expect to see from the genre. The combat, quests, and story are better.

When I think of an RPG on the home console, I think of solid combat. Sometimes it is turn-based, and other times it is action. It all depends on the type of game it is. Inindo is a turn-based RPG where you have a party of characters, and that is what I want from a game like this.

There are more quests in this game, and they do a better job of advancing the plot. While it is close to being an open world game, there is still a linear plot for you to follow. Each quest in the main line story advances that. They also have you exploring more locations, which is something I like.

While there is only one story, it is what you should expect from a console RPG. You have a defined goal, and it takes some time to complete it. Along the way, the story takes a few twists. It is told better than the stories in New Horizons.

This was tough, but Inindo is the game that is the closest to the other RPGs on the SNES and Genesis. It is still a unique game, which helps it to stand out. There is simply more of what I expect from the genre in this game. Let’s get into which one I would rather play.

Which Would I Rather Play?

This wasn’t all that difficult of a decision. There are some good things in each game, but I had way more fun with New Horizons. It helps that I have more memories of playing this game, but it has more options to play how you want.

Having six stories means there is something for everyone. Also, being able to ignore the main story for a while is more satisfying in this game. I like that I can spend some time trading goods, being a pirate, or exploring, regardless of the story I’m playing.

There is less urgency in this game, depending on the story you’re playing. You’re given a lot of time to learn how to play, and you get constant reminders of the rules. It is fun to play a game where you can fight enemies, but you don’t really have to. You also have the option to play politics if that is something you’re interested in doing.

New Horizons is a game that is addictive for me. It looks nice, has great stories, and gives you so many options on how to play it. I also have a few memories of looking for the game and playing it on my computer. It is a wonderful retro game, and one of my favorites on the SNES.   

Conclusion 

Parts of this were much harder than I was expecting. Each game is very unique, and they have things that I don’t like. At the end of the day, one of them is the better RPG, and the other is the better game.

Inindo isn’t an RPG that I want to revisit. I like the idea of the game, but the gameplay isn’t as good as many of the other games in this genre. It feels like a game that I should enjoy more than I do, but I don’t like the combat, which is a problem for an RPG. I do like the story and some of the gameplay options.

New Horizons is a joy to play. It has a different story for whatever mode I’m in, and I can always ignore the story and do something else in the game. Sailing around the game’s world can also be rather relaxing and rewarding if you have a contract with one of the cartographers in the game.

Both of these games are going to be fun to compare with the other games that I’ve played so far. They’re different enough to stand out, and they have some things that none of the other games have. It will make for some interesting comparisons coming up.

If you liked this post, check out some of the other posts in this series. Such as Inindo vs Robotrek or Inindo vs Destiny of an Emperor.