Back in 2019, Tengo Project successfully revived the 1994 SNES scrolling brawler TheNinja Warriors. Action platformer Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is their latest project, this time taking us back to 1990 and the humble NES. Upon release, the original Shadow of the Ninja was praised for its fluid gameplay and simultaneous two-player mode. A Game Boy version was even rebranded as a Ninja Gaiden spin-off after catching the eye of Tecmo. This revival has visuals closer resembling a 2D game from the 32-bit era and many of its ideas have been expanded upon. So, while its history can be traced back to the 8-bit era, you may be pushed hard to tell.
It’s easy to see why the original – known as Blue Shadow in Europe – rubbed shoulders with Ninja Gaiden. Our friendly neighbourhood assassins Hayate and Kaede are of the acrobatic sort, able to cling onto ledges, run up walls, and swing along railings. Hayate can even stand on his sword, balancing gracefully. They’re armed with typical ninja paraphernalia, including a katana, shuriken, and a kusarigamawith a long reach. Enemies are more devious than in similar 2D action games – hang onto a ledge, and often a grunt will walk over and point their rifle downwards. Knock a mech into a pit, and it’ll sprout a propeller and resurface. Indeed, Shadow of the Ninja is committed to catching you off guard, making it a very demanding experience.
It falls into the ‘hard but fair’ camp – you’ll die often, and sometimes quickly, but every time you’ll get slightly further after learning from past mistakes and mastering how to handle certain instances. While the amount of health seems generous at first (you’re able to withstand several hits, as opposed to just one or two) things can go wrong quickly. Leap onto a platform patrolled by enemies without dealing with them from afar, and you may end up worse for wear. The only thing that doesn’t feel fair is losing health from falling off screen, either by being nudged by an enemy or by miscalculating a jump. Tricky platforming sections are at least few.
Hayate and Kaede’s range of attacks all come in handy at some point, and it isn’t long until you’ll be launching the kusarigamadiagonally and attacking foes mid-air. There’s a large range of secondary weapons too, usually doled out just before they’re ideally needed. If you’re dying often, you’ve likely overlooked a secondary weapon. Grenades, rifles, bombs, and more can be found hidden behind walls, making staying alive a tad easier. One exceedingly lengthy stage has a health pack hidden halfway, and I’m confident in saying that if you’re oblivious to its location, the rest of the stage will be a struggle. If you die repeatedly, an extra power-up is thrown into your stockpile – an additional health pack can make all the difference. Swapping between items is fiddly, however; it’s best advised to find a quiet area to replenish health.
The game’s structure is a little dated, which was perhaps to be expected. There are six increasingly difficult stages to beat, each with a boss. They’re split into sections – with stages five and six bearing some remarkably long gauntlet runs – and you can continue as many times as required from the start of a section, rather than being chucked back to the beginning of a stage. The bosses are varied and rather challenging, mixing up their attack patterns often. You’re up against weaponised vehicles spread across multiple screens, an armoured warrior that comes back larger each time upon defeat, and more. Expect to die a handful of times before memorising their attacks fully; and even then, you may need a bit of luck to land that vital final blow – one boss calls for acute precision.
This isn’t something that’ll be blitzed through. Neither is it something to merely chip away at. I was able to progress steadily, with each stage requiring around an hour’s worth of attempts; give or take. There’s a time trial mode that gradually unlocks, a full catalogue of ninja gear to discover and an online ranking system linked to the amount of in-game currency collected – known as prep money, due to being used to buy items to take to the next stage. Other options are few, such as a CRT filter, a two-player mode, and an illustrated manual that takes the place of a regular tutorial. It’s worth visiting the manual after making headway, as a few manoeuvres are not instantly apparent, such as the ability to hover.
Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is a challenging experience, mostly for the right reasons, with a gradually increasing difficulty. While the UI isn’t anything special, the visuals are easy on the eye with impressively detailed backdrops and occasional flair. Modern day gamers may be left frustrated after seeing the ‘Game Over’ screen so regularly, while those weaned on the likes of Ninja Gaiden will likely relish its demanding acrobatic action. It’s also worth keeping in mind for its two-player mode, should you still play couch co-op. It’s a shame there’s no online play – in this modern era, getting a friend around to run Shadow of the Ninja’s gauntlet poses an even bigger challenge than the game itself.
Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is out 29th August on all formats. Developed by Tengo Project and published by United Games Entertainment.
