Nineteen ninety-eight,
At year’s dusk comes MGS,
But dawn brought Tenchu.
Two stealth games, creeping.
Crawling foxhound, hunting wolf.
One slays, one sneaking.
Metal Gear, chef-d’oeuvre.
Ninja’s tale subordinate,
Though carnage supreme.
Ninjas on the wing.
Snake, a 2D bird’s-eye line.
Thus Tenchu shall win.
Slick, Tenchu is not.
Lumpy blood squibs spatter walls,
Brick limbs everywhere.
Yet Tenchu appeals,
Stalking, flying, in 3D.
Assassination.
Plot is plebeian,
But open levels’ replay,
Hones master ninjas.
Onikage comes.
His best man, Lord Mei-Oh sent.
Princess Kiku seized.
Lord Gohda, incensed.
Night comes, with ninjas dispatched.
The Azuma strike.
Ayame ascends,
Grappling hook pulls. She swoops down.
Corpse falls, its soul freed.
Tools for use, sundry.
Shuriken, cold as winter.
Fire scroll, summertime.
A boss calls, “Ninja!”
Each level one rises, trees.
Rikimaru fells.
Bosses, obstinate.
Clunky but intense dueling.
Solo work is best.
Kataoka steals.
You kill his men, one by one.
Ichigoya slain.
Hit and run is key.
Prolonged clash, a swim in mud.
Lord Mei-Oh holds firm.
But to creep forward,
Patience with bad controller,
Must be held in place.
A must if enjoyed did you,
The Tenchu Haiku.
Pause the game, hold L1 + R2 and press Up, Triangle, Down, X, Left, Square, Right, Circle, then release L1 + R2 and press L1, R1, L2, R2, then wait a bit and press Start, L2 + R2