original Shadow of the Ninja There had been its moments, but not for long. Back in 1990, critics and players rightly considered it a well-made, challenging side-scroller, but it came out during the game’s busiest period. Nintendo entertainment system. It was quickly dismissed, failed to receive a sequel, and failed to reach the top ranks of NES classics – in fact, it was a planned follow-up to the Game Boy Shadow of the Ninja Development rights were snatched away by the more popular Ninja Gaiden series.
Then there’s the Tengo Project, the development team that worked on the original Shadow of the Ninja and other summer goals. They have a rare opportunity to revisit and reconstruct an ancient classic Wild Gun Reloaded and Pocky & Rocky return. exist Shadow of Ninja RebornHowever, they didn’t just remake the game. They created something new and amazing.
Doesn’t need much introduction: The fearsome Emperor Garuda has captured the city of Laurasia with his high-tech troops, and elite ninja crusaders Hayate and Kaede infiltrate his defenses to bring him down. Ignoring dialogue or cutscenes, the heroes rush through six side-view action-platformer levels that span docks, sewers, airships, factories, rooftops, fortresses, and other Garuda territory. Most of the opposition is cybernetic and mad science, with hulking spider robots, sentry drones, and punk chimps to name a few, but Shadow of Ninja Reborn No more important than throwing in a suit of obviously mystical Falconer or Haunted Samurai armor.
Hayate and Kaede also possess a number of mysterious ninja abilities: their swords can be powered up to fire destructive arcs of energy, while their scythe weapons can extend in eight directions and gain similar attack power. They are also able to hover and spin in the air, hang from overhead surfaces, grab onto and climb walls, shadow dash, and stab down at enemies, or in a fun way, stab their swords into the ground and balance on the hilt. They can sacrifice their vitality for the lightning that fills the screen, although this is a game best not hoarded on health.
And these are just their regular moves. Dozens of extra items appear throughout the levels, with only a few being basic health supplements like rice balls, milk, and chunks of steak. You’ll also find ninja stars, water chestnuts, kunai, scythes, grenades, time bombs, clubs, spiked bats, giant swords, kitchen knives, flamethrowers, gatling guns, old cannons, old ninja firework tubes, rocket launchers machines, cyber blades, laser cannons, surface mines and floating fire-breathing helper robots. It’s a surprising classification that requires experimentation to see which weapons can penetrate walls, which weapons are best for ranged attacks, and which weapons should be reserved for bosses.
This is part of the game’s consistently clever design. Each stage is filled with fun challenges; some are ripped straight from old NES games, but most are new and varied. You must navigate the aisles amid gunfire, marauding bug robots, and vixen witches. You must dodge flamethrowers and fire demons as you ride multi-level platforms through the factory. You have to climb a tower where giant cannons attack you not with explosions but with huge shell casings that they spray. You’ll have to figure out the best ways to dodge, jump, grab onto surfaces, and eliminate enemies as quickly as possible in new and fun ways throughout the game.
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn looks absolutely gorgeous. Tengo Project’s previous revamps have delved into the SNES or semi-powerful arcade hardware, which can be confusing at a casual glance Pocky & Rocky return, Wild Gun Reloadedand Ninja Savior: Return of the Samurai with their original versions. Shadow of Ninja Reborn No such error will occur. It’s a brand new game set in a spectacular setting, starting on a rain-soaked dock, to a fleet of hovering airships and the eerie corridors of a fortress where exposed wires crackle and giant machines sit idle. The colors and animations of these sprites are excellent, even for the lowliest thugs.
Sometimes it’s good to find a safe spot so you can admire the sky-filling floating fortress’s temple of fire, examine the details of the glowing, spiky cityscape (perhaps inspired by the Cannon Dancer/Ottoman), or check out The ornate, empty decor of the Garuda interior is ominous. Tengo Project has proven in previous games that 2D animation is unparalleled, and Shadow of Ninja Reborn It’s probably their best effort yet, distilling decades of expertise into six levels of futuristic ninja slaying.
At times, the bright, hyper-detailed scenery makes it hard to tell what could hurt you. However, it’s not confusing so much as it’s inviting, inviting you to see if you can rush up that wall, break that barrier, or fall into a passage and run underneath an enemy patrol unscathed. It’s all a wonderful showcase of 2D design, backed by a catchy remix of the original game’s soundtrack. The only mistake may be Mikio Tachibana’s protagonist design dynamic production. Hayate is a standard ninja game, and Kaede’s costume, while true to the original game’s art style, is off-putting in its color and exposure. The game even gives her a cool ninja savior look for a moment at the start of each level, before she changes into a regular pantless outfit.
True to its origins, Shadow of Ninja Reborn It’s rarely easy. Even common enemies can do significant damage, and you’ll never survive a stage without understanding its traps and patterns. Even then, it’s rarely brutal. The bosses are difficult but learnable, and each level is divided into two or three sections where you can easily continue (or save your game). In an age where 30-hour blockbuster movie assignments seem to be the standard, this may not be a long game, but Shadow of Ninja Reborn Earn your survival through unforgettable challenges.
Tengo Project is also good at squeezing out backhauls. If you want to unlock any weapon, you’ll need to put it into your arsenal as you clear the stage – which is especially taxing for rarer and more useful finds. Half the fun here is trying out extra weapons in the tradition of Mega Man and finding new, faster ways to complete everything, whether that’s hurling caltrops at giant bosses for passive damage or utilizing a Gatling gun When shooting in this way you will be briefly suspended. Levels usually have only one way forward, but there are also side paths, shortcuts, and hidden sections that often hide rewards.
Hayate and Kaede are slightly different (he jumps a little faster, but she runs a little faster), and you can’t freely switch between them, creating another reason to go back. Local multiplayer is also fast and fun, but with their wild gun and Pocky & Rocky Tengo Project ignores any online co-op mode.
Shadow of Ninja Reborn Controls are precise, although the wall-climbing mechanic takes some practice. It’s hard to grasp the difference between running on the surface and simply hanging there, but outside of Stage 4’s vicious machine presses, that’s rarely frustrating. Choosing between different weapons in the heat of battle is also difficult, perhaps on purpose. It’s all done with the press of a button, but if you want to sort out your arsenal, you’ll need to find shelter or grab short breaks during boss fights.
Shadow of Ninja Reborn‘s hook is much more poignant than mere nostalgia. This is not what the game is, nor should it be. It’s a glorious spectacle unconstrained by technology, something you might have imagined just by seeing the game’s box art or hearing its basic premise in 1990. A ninja action game, it’s also a reminder that Tengo Project’s true genius isn’t remaking or reimagining games. It’s making games, period.