Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Devs Discuss Taking the Series Back…

For old-school action game fans, one of the most exciting reveals at The Game Awards 2024 was likely Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. A brand-new 2D entry in the long-running Ninja Gaiden series being developed by The Game Kitchen, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is an exciting reinvention of the classic action platformer, complete with an original new story that runs concurrently to the events of the original NES Ninja Gaiden and introduces a new protagonist in Kenji, Ryu Hayabusa's protégé.

Following a hands-on preview of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, The Best War Games sat down with producer and director David Jaumandreu, as well as pixel artist and 2D animator Raúl Vivar Cano, to discuss how The Game Kitchen was approaching this new 2D entry in the storied franchise. Additionally, we touched on how Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound represents a new challenge for the studio as it shifts to a more traditional action platformer after working on two Metroidvanias with the Blasphemous games. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Old School Ninja Gaiden Fans Have a Lot to Look Forward to With Ragebound

The announcement of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a pleasant surprise for fans of the NES trilogy, and it seems like the title is in good hands.

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By Matt Karoglou

How Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Came to Life

Q: How did Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound come about? Did The Game Kitchen approach Koei Tecmo with the idea, or was the studio reached out to by Koei Tecmo to do a new 2D series entry to coincide with the franchise’s ongoing revival?

Jaumandreu: We were approached by Dotemu with the idea of creating a new entry in the 2D series. The news was met with a lot of excitement at The Game Kitchen, and we immediately got to work on crafting the best possible pitch for the game. As longtime fans of the franchise, we knew this was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up!

Q: Once Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound took shape, what were some of the team’s must-haves for its chance to make a game in that universe?

Jaumandreu: During the early stages of the game design process, we started by analyzing what made us love the Ninja Gaiden series, both its 2D and 3D entries. From there, we built the core pillars of the game around those elements. Some of our must-haves included fast-paced, straightforward hack-and-slash action that keeps players constantly moving forward, responsive controls and fluid character agility, a challenging yet fair difficulty level, an amazing and memorable soundtrack, and, of course, a cast of charismatic characters with a compelling story.

Q: Was the goal for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound always to tell a side story running concurrently to the original NES Ninja Gaiden?

Jaumandreu: Yes! From the very beginning, when we were crafting the plot and storyline, we knew that if we wanted to truly bring the series back to its 2D roots, it would be amazing to revisit the very first episode of the original trilogy. Setting the story alongside the events of the NES classic allowed us to immerse players in a familiar yet fresh experience, bringing back beloved characters, some iconic enemy designs, and the essence of what made the original game so special.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Represented a New Challenge for The Game Kitchen

Q: What were some of the inspirations and decision-making processes behind designing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound as a traditional action platformer versus a Metroidvania, akin to both Blasphemous games?

Jaumandreu: Taking the series back to its 2D roots, it was clear to us from the very beginning that a traditional stage-based structure made more sense than the Metroidvania style we explored in Blasphemous. The Ninja Gaiden series has always been defined by its incredibly fast-paced movement and combat, constantly pushing players forward, and we wanted to preserve that momentum. While our experience with Blasphemous certainly influenced aspects of level design, our goal was to capture the essence of the originals while modernizing them for today's players.

Q: Combat in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is incredibly fast and responsive, which is an exciting change of pace from the slower, more methodical combat of the Blasphemous games. Was it a challenge to acclimate to faster, more fluid encounter design?

Jaumandreu: Yes, it was definitely a challenge, especially when it came to animations. C oming from Blasphemous, where combat is weighty and every action carries a strong sense of commitment, our team had to go through a significant adjustment period. Adapting to a much faster, more immediate combat style required rethinking our approach, focusing on animation canceling and ensuring every player action had an instant, responsive feel. We went through multiple iterations of the character’s attack animations until we were fully satisfied with how the moves flowed together, creating a combat system that felt both fluid and impactful.

Q: What were some of the most valuable lessons learned from making Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2’s pixel art that helped with the design and art direction of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound?

Cano: During the development of Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2, our team made huge advances in pixel art quality. Sometimes it’s incredible to look back at our early prototypes and see how much we’ve improved in such a short time. One of the biggest lessons we carried into Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was refining our art production pipeline. We've become much more efficient at quickly prototyping fluid animations, allowing designers to iterate on gameplay early in development before committing to final-quality assets. This approach has been invaluable in ensuring both responsiveness and visual polish in the game.

What to Expect From the Full Release of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Q: The hands-on preview for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound showcased some perilous precision platforming segments that broke up the action-heavy segments. Can players expect a good balance between action and platforming like the classic NES Ninja Gaiden games in every stage?

Jaumandreu: Definitely! Bringing the series back to its roots meant embracing fast-paced platforming as a core element of the original Ninja Gaiden experience. We wanted to ensure that every stage strikes a balance between intense action and platforming, just like the classic NES games. Kenji and Kumori have been equipped with a wide range of ninja moves, allowing them to tackle challenging platforming sequences while seamlessly slicing through enemies along the way.

Q: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound maintains the series’ notorious challenge while also offering up plenty of quality-of-life improvements that make the game more accessible. What were some of the challenges in striking that balance?

Jaumandreu: Our goal was to make the game accessible to everyone while still delivering the legendary challenge that fans expect from the series. We aimed for a low entry barrier with classic, immediate hands-on gameplay, but with a high skill ceiling for those who seek mastery. Striking this balance required an analysis of how difficulty is perceived today compared to when the series first began. We focused on designing challenges that feel tough but fair, pushing players to improve while ensuring that every failure feels like a learning opportunity rather than a punishment.

A lot of iteration and playtesting went into this process, as we wanted to observe how different types of players responded to varying levels of challenge. This helped us design a wide range of equipment and options that cater to the diverse preferences of the Ninja Gaiden fanbase. Whether players are looking for a tough challenge or a more approachable experience, we aimed to provide something for everyone, allowing each player to tailor the difficulty to their liking while still staying true to the series’ roots.

Q: Roughly how long of an experience will Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound be? Will players have incentives to go back and replay the game after completion?

Jaumandreu: While we can't provide an exact gameplay time yet, since we're still in development, we've made sure to include plenty of incentives for replayability. Players will find hidden items, stage challenges, secret levels, and upgradeable equipment, all designed to offer a lot more for those who want to dive deeper than just the main story campaign. There’s plenty to explore and discover, ensuring that the game keeps players engaged long after they’ve completed it.

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