Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn

Despite not having an epic story like Ninja Gaiden or the cool arcade ties of Shinobi, Shadow of the Ninja still managed to standout as one of the best ninja games of the 8-bit era. It oozed personality, had two-player support and offered intense levels where we could hone our skills to truly feel like a ninja assassin. Now, 34 years after it first wowed critics and fans on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Shadow of the Ninja is back. Or should I say, “Reborn.” This is a brand-new take on the classic action game that keeps everything you loved about the original, all while adding tons of new weapons, completely revamped levels, bigger boss fights and so much more. Will this version make you want to throw out your 8-bit cartridge? That’s what we’re about to find out when I review Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn.

First released back in 1990, Shadow of the Ninja was one of the very first games from Natsume to catch the attention from both critics and consumers alike. It was an instantly likable action game with cool level designs and a pair of ninja heroes that had a surprising amount of technique for an 8-bit release. In fact, the game proved to be so good, that when Tecmo wanted to release a handheld game based in the Ninja Gaiden universe, Natsume used what was going to be a Shadow of the Ninja port for the Game Boy and turned it into Ninja Gaiden Shadow.

For reasons I have never understood, this was the end of the line for our shadowy ninja heroes. They didn’t get a Super NES sequel, they were never given a 3D makeover on PlayStation and Nintendo never asked them to be part of Super Smash Bros. About the closest we get to a follow-up is a completely unrelated Natsume game called Return of the Ninja, which signals the return of a male and female ninja duo, but not the ones we know and love from Shadow of the Ninja.

So, when Natsume announced that the people who brought us Pocky & Rocky Reshined would be developing a reimagined version of one of my favorite NES games, you better believe I was excited. And there’s a lot to be excited about, too. This is a good-looking update that turns the 8-bit classic into a fun 16-bit throwback, complete with redesigned levels, bigger bosses and a fully arranged soundtrack. What could go wrong?

Much like the original, the story is set in the not-too-distant future, when everything sucks and an evil warlord named Garuda has taken over one of the largest cities. Now it’s up to Hayate and Kaede, two dark assassins, to fight through six incredibly tough stages in hopes of freeing the city from Garuda’s evil clutches.

In a lot of ways, the original Shadow of the Ninja feels like little more than a blueprint for this reimagined update. You’ll see the same bosses and the six stages still take you to locations like the harbor, sewer and factory, but so much of this game feels new and different. It’s in the level designs, which are now much longer and more intricate. It’s in the additional stages, which will challenge our heroes in brand-new ways. It’s in the new ninja moves, like being able to perform an air-spin to gain added distance on every jump. The developer expanded the game in just about every way, giving us something that is a lot more than just a straight graphical remake.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the ninja items you’ll pick up along the way. Yes, the original NES game had items, but nothing like what you see in Reborn. On top of the sword and chain, you’ll also be able to hold seven additional items that can range from powerful weapons to useful healing pick-ups. This game has a staggering 53 things to pick up, including rocket launchers, spiked clubs, shotguns, throwing stars, a cannon, saw and so much more. What’s great about this game is that it lets you store seven of these items all at once, giving you a lot of ways to take out your opponents. And, in those especially brutal moments towards the end, you may want to save up on the food and soda, in order to stay alive. Remember, you’re only given one life to complete each part of the stage, so keeping some health items on hand is just as important as carrying a big stick.

Visually, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn looks so much better than original 8-bit game. The difference is night and day. Although I’m not a huge fan of the more anime’d up character designs, the different backgrounds and bosses all look amazing. I especially like that they stuck with pixel sprites, giving the new look a decidedly old school flare. Between the spruced up enemies, the detailed backgrounds and the vastly improved ending, this game really looks like a brand-new beast.

And that’s true not just for the looks, but the rest of the experience. Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn just feels like a different game. Sure, fans of the original will almost certainly still enjoy the very similar action, but it may take a little adjusting before it all clicks. I could see people having strong preferences for the original over this reimagined version, as I’m not sure all of the new additions and changes work.

Let’s start with one of the game’s biggest enhancements – the items. I love that there are dozens of weapons and power-ups to pick up along the way, but trying to use them can be a nightmare. With seven slots to fill up, you’ll often need to quickly switch between them to get to the item you want to use. This is done by holding down the switch weapon button and cycling through the slots using the D-pad or analog stick. This means that you can’t walk around or attack while switching between items, which may not be so terrible when nobody is around, but it’s basically impossible to do with the aggressive enemies after you. Why not map this to the unused left and right trigger buttons, that way we could quickly switch between items and fight all at the same time?

The more pressing issue is the gameplay, which isn’t nearly as responsive as I would like it to be. It’s not that the gameplay is necessarily bad, but rather that it’s kind of wonky. This is an action/platformer that requires precision, yet there are times when the gameplay doesn’t feel like it’s up to the job. The jump button is especially frustrating. It can sometimes feel like there’s a tiny lag in the jumping, just enough to throw you off in crucial moments. Another issue is when you’re dangling from a platform. Normally, pressing up and the jump button will make the hero climb up to safety. However, a good 20% of the time it would send me falling to my death. There are a lot of examples like this all throughout the six challenging stages.

I actually really like that this game is tough and requires you to tackle each type of enemy in a different way, but there are parts of the game that really toe the line between being challenging and frustrating. This is especially true late in the game, where they’ll start to introduce enemies that will shoot at you from offscreen. There are a lot of cheap hits that you won’t see coming or have time to avoid, and it will start to seem like the game expects you to memorize every part of the level in order to survive it. That’s fun early on, but less so later, when you’re getting hurt by enemies you can’t even see.

But don’t let the game’s challenge scare you away from Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn, because while it’s different from the 1990 original, it’s still a lot of fun. There’s a real sense of accomplishment once you’ve survived each stage, and the boss fights are fantastic. This is a game that just keeps getting better the more you play it, thanks to the well-constructed levels and staggering number of weapons to collect. While I still prefer the original, Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn is a lot of fun. It’s just different.