Review – Ninja Gaiden: Unleashing the Fury

The Year of the Ninja

Back in 1988, Tecmo released Ninja Gaiden for the NES. This 8-bit classic became one of the most popular titles on the platform, offering a challenging mix of platforming and one of the first cinematic experiences for many gamers. Over the years, the series expanded with multiple sequels, becoming a beloved property for fans. In 2004, Team Ninja reinvented the franchise, bringing it into the 3D era with increased difficulty and a story as complex as it is loved by fans. However, after more than a decade of silence, Ninja Gaiden announced a triumphant return in early 2025 with a remaster and not one but two new games. The first, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, is now here.

Since the release of Blasphemous in 2019, The Game Kitchen has earned significant recognition in the industry. While the Spanish team was developing the sequel, Koei Tecmo and DotEmu approached them to create a new 2D installment of Ninja Gaiden, a challenge that the creators of the Penitent accepted. Their goal was clear: to revive the action and challenge that characterized the NES titles, but with a refined gameplay style reflective of the genre’s evolution since the last time a Hayabusa graced this dimension. The result is an experience that grabbed attention right from its unveiling.

Celebrated as the Year of the Ninja by Koei Tecmo, The Game Kitchen’s work stands out as one of the most intriguing Ninja Gaiden projects in quite some time and serves as more than just an appetizer while we await PlatinumGames’ contribution. Is Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound the game we’ve all been anticipating? Has the Spanish studio proven that they can do more than just Metroidvanias? Discover the answers to these questions and more in our Atomix Review.

Two Become One

The Ninja Gaiden series has always captivated us with its intricate stories that blend ninjas with the modern world. Each installment has expanded not just Ryu Hayabusa’s journey but also the mythos originally created by Tecmo, featuring clashes between different clans, military organizations, and even the demon world. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound embraces these elements to deliver an adventure that adds to the series’ rich legacy, while simplifying them enough for anyone to enjoy what The Game Kitchen offers.

As Ryu Hayabusa travels to the United States to find his father, Japan is invaded by a demon army intent on freeing their leader. This is where Kenji Mozu of the Hayabusa clan and Kumiro of the Black Spider clan come into play, merging their souls after a horrific accident to prevent humans and supernatural foes alike from world domination. The premise is straightforward but effective. The conflict is simple to grasp and incorporates multiple series’ elements from over the years, seamlessly becoming part of the broader saga.

Thanks to a linear structure, the game excels at presenting different chapters focused on each protagonist, highlighting their personalities and motivations. When Kenji and Kumori unite, their interactions are entertaining, initially portraying them as polar opposites, but over time, they discover more common ground than initially apparent. This simple premise beats at the heart of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Watching each hero react to the story’s events, their relationship developing organically, is fascinating.

Meanwhile, the supernatural and military intrigue elements synonymous with Ninja Gaiden are executed flawlessly. Despite introducing various elements, the narrative never spirals out of control, but these organizations pose enough of a threat to be taken seriously. The game brilliantly balances necessary severity with the classic B-movie moments integral to the series since its inception.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound offers an entertaining adventure, never attempting to alter familiar concepts or present a grand-scale narrative. Instead, The Game Kitchen provides a journey that could well have been a SNES title known as Ninja Gaiden 4. Kenji and Kumori are compelling protagonists who, despite limited screen time, quickly become valued additions to this world, with the anticipation of seeing more of them in future endeavors.

Harmonious Contrast

With Blasphemous and its sequel, The Game Kitchen established itself as a team highly skilled in detailed pixel art. In Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, they elevate this mastery by offering contained levels that take us through ancient Japanese villages, various catacombs, demon-infested military bases, and more. The result is a visually spectacular experience demonstrating why the studio has gained its current reputation.

Each level is simply stunning, presenting an evolving blend of feudal Japan and the modern world. The game continuously redefines this concept. Kenji, representing tradition, features levels with villages, forests, and caves as backdrops. Conversely, Kumori represents technological progress, navigating industrial zones, a massive building full of criminals, and escaping a pursuing train. However, once the protagonists unite, the aesthetic concepts also merge in an unignorable way.

Caves lead to military bases, and construction zones culminate in forests, a visual narrative seamlessly integrating story and mechanics, enhancing the overall adventure. Accompanying this are spectacular character designs making remarkable use of pixel art. Once again, the protagonists captivate players. One favorite detail is watching Kenji’s scarf perpetually flutter, even in enclosed spaces where wind is unlikely. While the sprites showcase developers’ talent, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound also includes cutscenes that pay homage to the NES compositions.

These involve wide shots and close-ups emphasizing character expressions, with camera movement simulated by shifting a large image side-to-side or introducing it rapidly. While revolutionary on the NES, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound honors Tecmo’s work with more complex compositions and detailed screen elements. The result gives the game a unique personality, also nodding to classic samurai films.

Simultaneously, the game introduces a diverse array of instantly striking enemies. Each rival boasts a unique design, demonstrating that hell offers more than just red, horned creatures. Bosses, notably, impress players with extravagant details, such as Rhyvashi adorned with jewelry, whose statue-like pose signifies high infernal standing. Everything The Game Kitchen has crafted is extraordinarily phenomenal, consistently surprising with universe-expanding creatures.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a top-tier visual experience. The Game Kitchen has constructed a world both unique and firmly rooted in Tecmo and Team Ninja’s extensive legacy. Even performance-wise, the title excels with 60fps at 4K on PS5. The visual evolution of the game is apparent, with captivating protagonist and enemy designs, full of subtle surprises for observant players.

From Past to Present

The remarkable presentation of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound extends to its music, equally spectacular. Sergio de Prado created a soundtrack that, like the story, naturally evolves from the original NES installments, retaining all the classic energy but with contemporary compositions and techniques, uniquely defining the title while honoring Keiji Yamagishi, Ryuichi Niita, and Kaori Nakabai, the original composers who supported the Spanish team.

Sergio de Prado’s work brilliantly merges traditional Japanese elements with electronic and rock, using instruments such as the shamisen as a compositional base, layering with electric guitars, heavy basses, and a metal-inspired drum set. Each song perfectly balances its roles as an atmospheric element, transporting players to specific locales, and knowing when to take center stage during action sequences.

Though much of the music is wholly original, it doesn’t forget its roots within the series. Monster Attack!, for instance, employs a guitar riff from the NES classic’s boss theme. Similarly, Unbreakable Determination and other tracks incorporate elements from the original trilogy, more than just nostalgic references, they’re updated to evoke a sense of legacy, a theme foundational to this adventure.

The Game Kitchen and Sergio de Prado deliver a fantastic auditory experience for all to enjoy. The soundtrack builds upon familiar elements, creating compositions offering the perfect atmosphere for each level, an ideal partner for intense moments.

Two Ninjas, One Path

After years of anticipation, The Game Kitchen has fulfilled many dreams, creating a new 2D action platformer. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound modernizes classic genre concepts, delivering an addictive experience through fantastic level design, naturally increasing difficulty, and an emphasis on skill improvement for the best ranks. The result is one of the year’s most entertaining experiences, further cementing the Spanish studio’s growing industry reputation.

Unlike Blasphemous and its sequel, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound isn’t a metroidvania but a linear game with predetermined levels, limited exploration to a few secrets. This focus allowed developers to design levels maintaining constant player movement, balancing platforming challenges with demon army engagements. Characters share fundamentals but have unique differences. Kenji focuses on close-range attacks with his katana, while Kumori uses kunais for distance strikes. Both can scale walls and ceilings, significantly enhancing mobility.

Notably, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound features two unique mechanics. The first is the guillotine, allowing players to bounce on enemies, serving as a double-jump variant. Starting simple, level designs later challenge players with platformless sections requiring enemy use to cross gaps. Mastering this rhythm can bypass obstacles, delighting speedrunners aiming for fastest completions.

The second is hyper-charged attacks, devastating moves executed after holding the attack button at slight health cost, or by defeating certain color-aura enemies. While smaller foes fall with one hit, others pose significant hurdles in levels. Only hyper-charged attacks can quickly eliminate them instantly. Interest peaks when multiple such enemies appear, requiring optimal speed solutions.

While Kenji and Kumori begin as separate entities, they eventually fuse, with Hayabusa Clan member taking the lead, adopting his rival’s abilities, complicating level design. Aura enemies appear in blue (for the katana) and pink (for the kunais), creating sections requiring perfect power balance for victory.

Beyond reaching zone ends and defeating bosses, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound challenges players with level-specific tasks extending gameplay. Levels demand collecting golden beetles, silver skulls, and ancient scrolls unlocking attributes and additional levels. Completing objectives increases possible rank. While optional, this provides extra challenges testing player mastery, offering fun attempts at one-run completions.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is pure fun, a description encapsulating The Game Kitchen’s work. A must-play for 2D action-platforming fans, each level teaches players something new or tests their skills. Kenji and Kumori feel unique despite shared foundations, their fusion inspiring level designs maximizing protagonist skills. Difficulty is fair—never impossible, but requiring alertness. The title strikes a perfect balance, marking a notable return for one of the genre’s most crucial series.

Yin and Yang

Already showcasing talent, The Game Kitchen takes its abilities to new heights with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. Its impressive work captivates in every conceivable way. The story is engaging and straightforward, avoiding complexities to deliver an adventure distinctly part of the series’ legacy, expanding the original NES universe while acknowledging both sequel advancements and Team Ninja’s contributions.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a visual and auditory delight. The Game Kitchen captures the essence of classic installments, yet leaves room for the studio’s unique creativity to shine. Thematically blending two opposing elements elevates the experience, continually revealing new facets with each playthrough.

Despite beginning with NES groundwork, The Game Kitchen incorporates recent decades’ genre advancements, offering an experience of pure enjoyment. Dynamic level designs keep players moving, presenting challenges utilizing original ideas for engaging platforms and obstacles. The final product showcases a refined vision for 2D action platformers.

As a midpoint in the Year of the Ninja, the Spanish studio delivers an experience all Ninja Gaiden fans should encounter, likely leaving many considering Ragebound when pondering the year’s best games.