Well, this marks the tenth anniversary of The Game Awards, and in the Opening Act pre-show, they stated that they had the perfect first game announcement to celebrate. What did they mean by that? Well, you might imagine the tenth anniversary for a game released in 2014 or 2015. But no, instead, they decided to go back even further. It was pretty exciting when that first glimpse of the iconic NES cutscene appeared. Even more exciting when this was revealed to be a game fromBlasphemousdevelopers The Game Kitchen, and the excitement levels topped out when we realized we were looking at: A brand-new 2DNinja Gaidengame, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.
Return of the Ninja
Notably, it turns out the use of that cinematic wasn’t just for nostalgic purposes, as the game takes place back in Hayabusa Village after Ryu Hayabusa heads to the United States to avenge his father’s death, as seen in the original NES game. Instead, this game focuses on a different ninja character, Kenji Mozu of the Hayabusa clan, as they fend off an army of demons invading their village. This involves heading through several different locales and battling then in side-scrolling combat, like the original games, though it wasn’t described if Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound will have level-based progression like the classic games, or something like a more metroidvania-style approach. Notably, the official description mentions upgradable abilities, hidden collectibles, and optional mission objectives, which suggests something a bit deeper.
Review: Blasphemous 2
For any metroidvania fan, missing out on Blasphemous 2 would truly be a sin worthy of penitence.
It wouldn’t be that surprising for The Game Kitchen to bring over their metroidvania expertise, but one thing made clear is that they’re bringing over their expertise in pixel art as well, with lush levels, detailed backgrounds and imposing boss designs, among other things. Notably, this marks the first time that series has been depicted in pixel art since 1991 (let alone “hi-bit” pixel art such as this), as Ninja Gaiden took a hiatus until 2004’s Xbox game. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is being published byDotemu(in collaboration with Koei Tecmo), who have been in the business of resurrecting classic game franchises with modern flourishes for a while now.
Concerning the legendary difficulty that the series is known for, the game apparently promises “a steep, rewarding sense of difficulty and intricate technical depth” to go along with its quick and intense combat, but also states that the game will be “welcoming to newcomers.” And again, given how the Blasphemous games handled their challenge levels quite well, it sounds like its in good hands in this department. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is set to arrive in Summer 2025 for all current major platforms, and we’ll see then if Ninja Gaiden and The Game Kitchen are indeed a perfect match.
