Shadow of the Ninja Reborn on PS5 is a welcome callback to classic side-scrolling action of yesteryear. It has the perfect blend of nostalgia with modern sensibilities.
You may be unfamiliar with Shadow of the Ninja. It was a highly acclaimed, but criminally forgotten, game on the NES which originally released in 1990. It doesn’t hold the same legendary status as Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, both of which are household names. But this remake from Tengo Project will prove to you that it deserves its place alongside those, if not above them.
Oldie but a Goodie
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn retains the core gameplay style of the original title and other favourites from that time. A game that looks simple and easy to pick up and play, but one that will have you pulling out your hair in frustration at times too. It has the “urgh, one more go” feel to it that made Cuphead such a great little game.
There is little in the way of storyline. The story follows two ninjas named Hayate and Kaeda who set out to take down an evil dictator in the future world of 2029 in a dystopian version of the United States. When the game first came out on the NES, 2029 was almost 40 years away. It’s now just over FOUR! Terrifying.
But the storyline isn’t what we are here for. We are all here for the hacking and slashing.
Masterful Remaster
Too often with remakes, they over complicate the control mechanisms. I only had two buttons and a d-pad when I tackled this first. Such innocent times. They have obviously upgraded the controls from that time but have kept it simple. This makes every jump, slash, and dodge feel satisfying.
The game looks beautiful. The pixel art images have been given a visual upgrade but retains the important original style of the original. The environments look fantastic, and the characters are and animation feels both retro and modern. The gorgeous graphics are complimented by the even more gorgeous soundtrack and, as with every other aspect of the game, it stays true to the source material whle simultaneously feeling fresh but familiar.
Like all great games of this era, you are rewarded for the work you put in. Getting to know the enemies attack patterns and making sure you know exactly when to jump or what attack to use is vital. However, when you make mistakes, you will definitely be punished. No matter what difficulty setting you choose, this isn’t an easy game. The boss battles will leave you frustrated, but in a good way. You don’t feel cheated, you just know that you made a mistake.
Short but Sweet
One slight drawback is that because of the simplicity, the game by it’s very nature can feel repetitive. There is only so much variation you can put into a game of this type. It is a one trick pony, but my god, that trick is outstanding. If the developers added extra padding just for the sake of it, it would be like putting a hat on a hat.
The game is great in single player. But to get the best from this game, it is best to find someone to play local co-op with you. The frenetic action alsways hits different when you are playing with someone else and definitely lends to the replayability factor.
Because the game is faithful to the NES original, the runtime is predictably short. Games didn’t last long those days. Once you get the hang of it, you can run through a replay in 2/3 hours. It doesn’t matter when those 2/3 hours are so good though. And at the more than fair pricepoint of €19.99, you do get value for money.
I am a huge fan of this game. It is a great remake of a great game. I would higly reccomend.
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