Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Feels Like The 8-Bit Series Never Stopped

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.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Apr 16, 2025 - 16:11

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Feels Like The 8-Bit Series Never Stopped

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.Continue Reading at GameSpot