Like a lot of other 80s kids, the original Ninja Gaiden on NES came around at the perfect time in my life to foster a lifelong love of action games, anime, and all things ninja. So when the trailer for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound debuted at The Game Awards 2024, I stood up out of my seat. When I saw that it was none other than The Game Kitchen who would be developing, I jumped for joy. Both Blasphemous and its sequel are two of my favorite modern Metroidvanias, so to see a clearly talented studio tackle such a formative franchise seemed like a dream match-up. What I didn't know then was how Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound would compare to that iconic, original NES trilogy of Ninja Gaiden games. And what I'm pleasantly surprised to report now is that, in many ways, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound surpasses them.
The Game Kitchen has clearly done its homework when it comes to crafting an action-platformer that adheres to the tough-as-nails challenge and speed of the 8 and 16-bit classics, but Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a lot more than just old-school homage. Instead, Ragebound deftly blends modern quality of life flourishes and gameplay design with the framework of a traditional action-platformer, eschewing many of the genre's more frustrating bits in the process.
Players familiar with the original 2D Ninja Gaiden games and other similar titles will come into Ragebound and feel right at home, but the subtle ways that the game levels the playing field for those new to action-platformers (or even those who've never beaten the NES trilogy without the use of save states or other helpful shortcuts) make Ragebound a game that emphasizes frantic action, ultra-satisfying combat, and fluid movement above all else. That it's presented as one of the most gorgeous-looking and sounding pixel art games in recent memory is the bow that ties the package together, and a new gold standard for other similarly-minded action games with an old-school aesthetic.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Makes What's Old Feel New Again [Hands-On Preview]
By mixing old and new techniques, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is well on its way to delivering an exhilarating experience like only Ninja Gaiden can.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Brings Old-School Thrills With None of the Frustrations
It bears mentioning that just because Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a more accessible experience than the original NES trilogy might offer, that doesn't mean it's for the faint of heart. Quite the contrary, as Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is every bit as challenging and demanding as 1989's Ninja Gaiden and its two sequels, right down to how it requires the player to memorize the rhythm and flow of enemy movements so as to slice and dice their way through them like the masked assassins that are the game's namesake. But where Ragebound throws players a bit of rope is in how it handles progression. When it comes to elements like level structure, character upgrades, and mid-stage checkpoints, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is undoubtedly more forgiving than its 2D predecessors in the franchise, and it's a better game for it.
Having just recently replayed and beaten the original 1989 Ninja Gaiden in preparation for Ragebound's release, I was pleased to see that all the skills I had just re-learned were still applicable in this newest iteration of the franchise. Players will be able to control Ryu's protege, Kenji, using the classic two-button control scheme of the original games — one for jumping, and one for attacking. A new dodge move tied to the RB/R1 button allows for quick evasive maneuvers and a new lunging attack that is great for closing distance. But the best new trick that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound introduces into players' arsenal is the Guillotine Jump.
Similar in form and function to the Cloudstep move from the very Ninja Gaiden-like The Messenger, the Guillotine Jump is an essential addition in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound that sees regular use in both combat and platforming, allowing Kenji to perform a mid-air "pogo" off of enemies or environmental objects to reach previously inaccessible heights or chain otherwise impossible jumps. It's incredibly satisfying to pull off and easily chained into other attacks, helping both combat and traversal feel more fluid and responsive as a result. Bosses will regularly fill the arena with ground-covering attacks (think flames or electricity), and a quick pivot into evasive mode using Guillotine Jump allows for some very slick moments in these encounters that make you truly feel like a ninja.
Outside the new moves and abilities that Kenji has, players can now visit a character from the 3D Ninja Gaiden games in between stages in Ragebound, Muramasa. Just like in Team Ninja's character action reboot of the franchise, Muramasa runs a helpful shop in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound that players can visit between stages on the game's world map. Collecting the hidden Golden Scarabs scattered throughout each stage allows you to purchase different upgrades that can be swapped while visiting Muramasa. Some of them provide helpful bonuses, while others make the game harder to improve your end-of-stage ranking. Even though I found my favorites early on and stuck with them (regenerating health at high kill streaks, faster generation of a resource used to trigger an ultimate move, etc.), the amount of variety on offer in the different abilities players can equip is nice and creates incentive to experiment with different strategies if you happen to find yourself stuck.
Ragebound's Secret Weapon is Introducing a Second Playable Character via Kumori
What separates Ragebound from every iteration of Ninja Gaiden before it and helps tie together all of its new gameplay additions is the presence of the series' first additional playable character, Kumori. Players first meet Kumori in a brief intermission stage where they get to control the Black Spider Clan ninja as she proves herself to the clan leadership in a test against a demon. Following an all-too-predictable betrayal at the hands of the demon lord, Kumori transfers her soul into Kenji's dying body to save both of their lives, fusing them into a Hayabusa and Black Spider Clan hybrid super ninja.
This merging of the two essentially grants players the best of both worlds, giving Kenji a new ranged attack thanks to Kumori's kunai and having a new secondary ability that can be triggered with another face button based on which of Muramasa's trinkets you have equipped. Fusing with Kumori also makes the most of two new elements that help Ragebound stand out even further from the series' legacy: the Hypercharge attack and the new platforming challenges.
In the lead-up to Ragebound's release, a lot of attention was paid to how the Hypercharge attack shook up the general flow of combat, and rightfully so. Enemies with glowing auras indicate whether they should be killed using Kenji or Kumori's attacks (blue for Kenji, pink for Kumori), which then grants Kenji a Hypercharge attack that can be used to take out tougher enemies in a single slash or kunai throw, maintaining the flow and speed of combat that players of the original 2D Ninja Games would expect. Hypercharge adds a nice layer of nuance to how players approach what could've otherwise just been mindless slashing.
Similarly, Kumori's abilities as a Black Spider Clan ninja allow her to effortlessly traverse the demon realm, which is where all of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound's toughest platforming challenges come into play. Platforming was always a major element of the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy, but in Ragebound, it becomes a central focus where Kumori becomes the star of the show. To uncover each level's best secrets and hidden goodies, players will need to complete each of the platforming challenges they come across, and I was honestly left feeling like I wanted more of them.
The Game Kitchen Has Outdone Itself With Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound's Visuals and Audio
The Game Kitchen's artists and animators had already proved themselves incredibly adept with their work on both Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2, and the team has once again set a new high bar for other pixel art games to clear with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. For their time, the original Ninja Gaiden games were some of the best-looking action-platformer titles on the NES (especially where inventive environmental and enemy design were concerned), and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound carries that tradition forward by being one of the best-looking and fluidly animated titles of its ilk.
The same can be said for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound's music, which strikes a great balance between remixing old staples that will sound immediately familiar to series fans and introducing brand-new tracks. But even Ragebound's sound effects are commendable. I played through the entirety of Ragebound on the Steam Deck and made sure to use headphones to fully immerse myself in the experience, amplifying the sinesthetic sensation of being able to "feel" every sword slash, Guillotine Jump, or Hypercharge attack.
Anyone Looking for a Killer Action-Platformer Will Find It in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound does so much right that it almost qualifies as a perfect action-platformer. It's already one of the best games in the Ninja Gaiden series and a worthy continuation to the series' 2D legacy, and the minor flaws that it does have do little to detract from the overall experience unless you happen to be playing at higher difficulties. The one issue that Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound's levels have is that, if anything, they're often too long and feature checkpoints that are too spread out, which can lead to some frustration when playing on Hard Mode. True to its name, Hard Mode does away with Muramasa's shop and even the world map entirely, limiting players to a linear gauntlet of stages more in line with the old-school challenge of the NES Ninja Gaiden games. On Normal difficulty, the length of stages is a blessing more than anything else, because you'll likely find yourself just wanting to experience more of its excellent combat and platforming. But once you enter Hard Mode and the gloves come off, some of the longer stages feel just slightly too punishing.
That Ragebound's story runs concurrently to the events of the first Ninja Gaiden is fitting, as Ragebound is the best the series has felt in 2D since that iconic 1989 classic, and it's more than deserving of being talked about in the same breath as one of the greatest action-platformers of all time.
- Released
- July 31, 2025
- Developer(s)
- The Game Kitchen
- Publisher(s)
- Dotemu
- Franchise
- Ninja Gaiden
WHERE TO PLAY
From the acclaimed team behind Blasphemous, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound successfully unites the classic lore and gameplay of the Tecmo-developed (now KOEI TECMO GAMES) NINJA GAIDEN series from the 8-bit era with the depth and intensity of the modern 3D entries. The best of both eras come together to create an epic and thrilling adventure.
Our story begins when Ryu Hayabusa journeys to America to honor his father's will. While he is away, the barrier between the human and the demon worlds suddenly shatters, unleashing a terrifying army upon the Hayabusa Village, which now faces an unprecedented threat in Ryu's absence.
To stand against this new threat, Kenji Mozu, a young ninja from the Hayabusa Village, rises to the challenge! Trained by Ryu, he fights fiercely but soon finds himself in desperate straits. Forced to tap into forbidden power, Kenji sets aside centuries of animosity and forms an alliance with the sinister Black Spider Clan, convinced that combining their souls and skills is the only way to protect the world out of the Demon Lord's grasp!
Combining old-school feeling with modern precision, NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound retains the pick-up-and-play action of the classic titles, while introducing new layers of depth.
Alongside the new protagonist, Kenji Mozu, is the skilled assassin Kumori. Take control of these two powerful ninjas simultaneously and unravel their interconnected stories.
Use the Ninja Fusion to unleash devastating abilities and obliterate your enemies. NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound features impeccable mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to truly master, challenging the skills of even the most seasoned fans of the NINJA GAIDEN series!
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- A near-perfect modern take on the classic 2D Ninja Gaiden formula
- The Game Kitchen knocks it out of the park in terms of visuals, animations, and sound design
- Plenty of secrets and unlockables that incentivize replay value for those chasing perfection
- Some stages drag on for too long with checkpoints that are too spread out
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound releases July 31, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Best War Games was provided a PC code for this review.