The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors

Once upon a time there was an arcade game called The Ninja Warriors. It was made by Taito and employed a unique strategy of using three side-by-side monitors to widen the scope of the action. This led to a Super NES sequel that was also named The Ninja Warriors and set seven years after the arcade original. A quarter-century later, we get The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, an HD remake of the Super NES game that not only comes with a new name, but also more moves, playable characters and modes. It's the best version of The Ninja Warriors yet, but a large part of me wishes that this was a proper sequel and not an upgraded port.

Banglar the Tyrant has once again used his power and influence to seize control and spread his dictatorial regime across the world. Government forces have tried to defeat Banglar, but have failed at every attempt. They are left with no other choice than to call upon the Ninja Warriors, a squad of self-aware ninja robots that are more than equipped to fight through waves of enemy forces and detain the dictator. It's a suicide mission, but it's the last shot we have to take out Banglar before it's too late.

The Ninja Warriors consist of a female ninja dressed in red known as Kunoichi, her blue and brawny companion Ninja, and a lean and mostly-naked robot called Kamaitachi. This version also introduces us to two new fighters, including a short and stout woman named Yaksha and a massive mechanized shinobi that goes by Raiden. Each of these heroes has their own unique special attack and combos, and there are definitely pros and cons for each fighter.

For the most part, the game is about walking left to right and slashing Banglar's guards and robots. Much like the Super NES game, this is a straight-forward beat 'em up where there are only a few types of enemies and we use the same three or four moves to take them out. We're given a few extra moves beyond the standard attack, including rushing move, a ground assault and a special move that will quickly charge up as long as you're not hit. By holding up, our heroes will also be able to unleash a unique character-specific move that will help take out bosses and swarms of bad guys. Ninja, for example, will use his nun chucks to juggle enemies, while Kunoichi rocks the throwing stars.

If you played the original 1994 version, then you're going to feel right at home with The Ninja Saviors. We fight through the mall, the subway station, on the freeway and into Banglar's hideout. There are eight stages in all, most of which will only take a few minutes to complete. This is a short but challenging game, with each completed stage unlocking a time trial that gives you a little extra incentive to play through it again with a different character. Outside of that, you'll be able to take on a harder difficulty mode and a two-player mode, something that was lacking from the Super NES original.

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Even as a 16-bit beat 'em up, The Ninja Warriors was never on par with the likes of Streets of Rage or Final Fight. It was enjoyable enough, but not necessarily something you had to play in 1994. A quarter-century later and I feel almost exactly the same way about this remake. It's fun and I love what they've done to the music and visuals, but is it a must-play? Probably not. There's no hidden depth or surprises here, it's just a run-of-the-mill beat 'em up with some cool bosses and memorable robot heroes.

It also suffers from almost all of the same problems that plagued the Super NES game, such as constantly fighting enemies that hide off screen. Even with the wider 16x9 aspect ratio, the enemies like to avoid you by standing just off screen. This creates so many situations where our hero appears to be alone, but can't advance because Banglar's guards are too afraid to face the robot ninjas. It's also frustratingly difficult to pick up throwable objects. This is a minor point, but it comes up more than you would think. It's impossible to know if you'll be able to pick up an item from one moment to the next. You can be standing in the exact same spot and have two completely different results, and it's never clear why. These are the kinds of gameplay problems that they should have been able to fix in the last twenty-five years.

When it comes down to it, The Ninja Saviors is exactly what I expected it would be. It's a great-looking remake with some much-needed additions and not a lot else. This is definitely the best version of The Ninja Warriors yet, but I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get a proper sequel. It would have been nice to see Natsume expand on the concept instead of just rehash the Super NES game. This is a great upgrade of a so-so brawler.