Ninja Gaiden has been on a long hiatus, and for fans of the classic 2D games on the NES, it's been even longer. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a classic throwback from publisher Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge) and developer The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous series). But while Ragebound shows their respect for retro craftsmanship, it feels more like an evolution of the 8-bit originals than a broad reinvention. This is still an action-platformer at heart, serving as a respectful homage to Ninja Gaiden classics that picks up right where those left off.
During an extended hands-on with Ragebound I was able to try a lengthy chunk from the early hours of the game: a playable story sequence, tutorial, and then a few stages full of tense combat and new mechanics that fit right into the classic feel of Ninja Gaiden.
In Ragebound, you play primarily as Kenji Mozu, a protege of series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa who is left to defend their village when Ryu journeys to America. When a barrier between the human and demon realms tears apart, the village is beset by demons and Kenji steps up to be the new protector of the realm. But in the course of the story, the demo also introduced a secondary protagonist: the Black Spider ninja Kumori. The Black Spider Clan was a major antagonist in the later Team Ninja games, so in a way, this is bridging the gap between the two eras of the series.
The two also offer differentiation to their gameplay styles that keeps you juggling between different abilities. Kumori's spirit fuses into Kenji's body, allowing you to switch between the physical and spirit realms at will. While Kenji uses the katana blade with a very similar feel to the originals, Kumori's specialty is throwable kunai blades. Kenji is an acrobatic melee fighter, especially with the ability to bounce off of enemies and projectiles in mid-air, while Kumori is better suited for ranged attacks. That gives the two a very different feel, and allows you to switch into the spirit realm to solve platforming puzzles and combat scenarios that aren't possible with Kenji alone.
Kenji and Kumori also have access to a Hypercharge ability: a devastatingly powerful attack with special properties. Defeating enemies charges up the special attack, but like a combo counter, it resets if you get hit. That heightens the combat tension, as you could use the Hypercharge as soon as you get it or try to hold onto it for a particularly tough enemy. Both Kenji's katana and Kumori's kunai build the charge, but when you're separated, you only have access to half of your power set. It's a clever way to express through gameplay that these two are strongest when joined together, even if they hate it.
That's a major source of strife, at least in the early game, as the two ancient enemies constantly snipe at each other and vent their biases and grudges. As the title implies, Kenji is the cool and well-centered operator while Kumori is more aggressive and, well, full of rage. Enemies who come to rely on each other is a classic storytelling trope but it's done well here, against the backdrop of a fantastical, demon-filled Japan. It helps flesh out the characters and gives a Black Spider ninja the rare opportunity to step into the spotlight as a hero.
Despite these changes and new wrinkles, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound feels right at home next to the classic tough-as-nails Nintendo games. The original Ninja Gaiden games were known for their tight, unforgiving platforming. Ragebound looks to be slightly more forgiving than those originals, but given my experience with a few of the early stages, it still looks to be a skill-testing action-platforming challenge. Everything from the weight of the jumps to the speed of your blade feels, if not identical to the originals, at least in conversation with those mechanics in a way that felt immediately inviting and familiar to me as a longtime fan.
Kenji summons the help of Kumori in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
And as you'd expect from this pairing of publisher and developer, the pixel art is characteristically gorgeous. The environments are darker than the vibrant tones of TMNT but not as gothic as Blasphemous, and the characters themselves are smaller in relation to their backgrounds, but their movements are perfectly readable. The yokai designs are a particular standout, looking traditional while adding splashes of color that look intentionally unnatural against the more grounded scope.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is coming this summer to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
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During an extended hands-on with Ragebound I was able to try a lengthy chunk from the early hours of the game: a playable story sequence, tutorial, and then a few stages full of tense combat and new mechanics that fit right into the classic feel of Ninja Gaiden.
In Ragebound, you play primarily as Kenji Mozu, a protege of series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa who is left to defend their village when Ryu journeys to America. When a barrier between the human and demon realms tears apart, the village is beset by demons and Kenji steps up to be the new protector of the realm. But in the course of the story, the demo also introduced a secondary protagonist: the Black Spider ninja Kumori. The Black Spider Clan was a major antagonist in the later Team Ninja games, so in a way, this is bridging the gap between the two eras of the series.
The two also offer differentiation to their gameplay styles that keeps you juggling between different abilities. Kumori's spirit fuses into Kenji's body, allowing you to switch between the physical and spirit realms at will. While Kenji uses the katana blade with a very similar feel to the originals, Kumori's specialty is throwable kunai blades. Kenji is an acrobatic melee fighter, especially with the ability to bounce off of enemies and projectiles in mid-air, while Kumori is better suited for ranged attacks. That gives the two a very different feel, and allows you to switch into the spirit realm to solve platforming puzzles and combat scenarios that aren't possible with Kenji alone.
Kenji and Kumori also have access to a Hypercharge ability: a devastatingly powerful attack with special properties. Defeating enemies charges up the special attack, but like a combo counter, it resets if you get hit. That heightens the combat tension, as you could use the Hypercharge as soon as you get it or try to hold onto it for a particularly tough enemy. Both Kenji's katana and Kumori's kunai build the charge, but when you're separated, you only have access to half of your power set. It's a clever way to express through gameplay that these two are strongest when joined together, even if they hate it.
That's a major source of strife, at least in the early game, as the two ancient enemies constantly snipe at each other and vent their biases and grudges. As the title implies, Kenji is the cool and well-centered operator while Kumori is more aggressive and, well, full of rage. Enemies who come to rely on each other is a classic storytelling trope but it's done well here, against the backdrop of a fantastical, demon-filled Japan. It helps flesh out the characters and gives a Black Spider ninja the rare opportunity to step into the spotlight as a hero.
Despite these changes and new wrinkles, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound feels right at home next to the classic tough-as-nails Nintendo games. The original Ninja Gaiden games were known for their tight, unforgiving platforming. Ragebound looks to be slightly more forgiving than those originals, but given my experience with a few of the early stages, it still looks to be a skill-testing action-platforming challenge. Everything from the weight of the jumps to the speed of your blade feels, if not identical to the originals, at least in conversation with those mechanics in a way that felt immediately inviting and familiar to me as a longtime fan.
Kenji summons the help of Kumori in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
And as you'd expect from this pairing of publisher and developer, the pixel art is characteristically gorgeous. The environments are darker than the vibrant tones of TMNT but not as gothic as Blasphemous, and the characters themselves are smaller in relation to their backgrounds, but their movements are perfectly readable. The yokai designs are a particular standout, looking traditional while adding splashes of color that look intentionally unnatural against the more grounded scope.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is coming this summer to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
Source