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One of the toughest old school side-scrollers is coming back thanks to Dotemu and The Game Kitchen, with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.
Go Ninja, go ninja, go
Those who best remember Ninja Gaiden from its most recent incarnation might be scratching their heads over this return to form. But if you’re a fan who goes back, and we mean way back to the 1980’s and the glory days of 8bit gaming, what Dotemu and developer The Game Kitchen are cooking up will likely sound pretty darn great.
The just-revealed Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a retro-themed side-scrolling actioner, that actually plays off of the original game in the set. Well, maybe not the original original, since we’re not talking about arcade games.
Instead The Game Kitchen is crafting something in the vein of Ninja Gaiden‘s NES incarnation. Vastly different from the quarter-munching version, the console edition of the game took on a life of its own, becoming arguably more popular than its cabinet-cousin.
The new title’s story takes place during that console game, but with its action set in Japan instead of the US. And since Ryu is off finding who murdered his father, that means there’s a new hero in town with Kenji Mozu. A ninja of the Hayabusa clan, Kenji has found his rural village aflame, and taken over by vile demons.
A new hero, Kenji Mozu, emerges in NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound. The story picks up in Hayabusa Village after Ryu Hayabusa heads to America to avenge his father’s death, as told in the NES version of NINJA GAIDEN. Suddenly, the veil between the human and demon worlds has torn, opening a doorway to darkness in Hayabusa Village. Kenji Mozu, a young ninja of the Hayabusa clan, throws himself into battle, determined to protect his village and its people from a looming demonic threat in this dark and dangerous era.
Dotemu press release
Fans of the classic Ninja Gaiden games should find this new incarnation right in line with them. Dotemu promises Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound will offer up fast-paced combat and a “steep, rewarding sense of difficulty and intricate technical depth that will challenge the blade of even a seasoned ninja.” Yeah, that sounds about right.
Fans can look for plenty of traps to overcome, demonic foes to battle, and huge bosses to vanquish, plus “upgradable abilities, hidden collectibles, optional mission objectives and more” when Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound arrives for the PC, Switch, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles in summer 2025.
