La cascade of coins that I
poured into the arcade cabinets, in what were the glorious years
of adolescence, is something that cannot be defined with a number. Math
cannot come to the rescue when it comes to emotions and memories, or at least it is not enough to quantify the
fun experienced associated with the shower of two hundred lire that I spent to
play Ninja Gaiden.
Known also as Shadow Warriors, it kicked off the
legendary saga with Ryu Hayabusa,
a character who, together with Joe Musashi (Shinobi)
and Rikimaru (Tenchu), represents the
perfect prototype of the ninja in
video game form! Anyone who loves arcade
games cannot fail to remember Ryu’s flying somersaults, along with his relentless grabs
on the numerous enemies that crowd the screen, moments etched indelibly
in the minds of fans, moments destined to return in the very best way:
Ninja Gaiden Ragebound has been
announced with a spine-chilling trailer and will allow us to throw punches and kicks (in the
game, mind you, don’t try this at home!) by going back to the roots, in 2D!
Sì, you understood correctly. The brand-new iteration of the Shadow Warrior will take shape in the summer of 2025, based on what has been officially announced so far, thanks to a multi-handed collaboration, including the presence of Tecmo, the historic software house that gave rise to the myth.
Developed by The Game Kitchen, who, as the name suggests, “cooked up” and served us that little gem with creepy vibes called Blasphemous,
we will return to Ryu Hayabusa’s village to defend it in the role of a young shinobi, Kenji Mozu.
Watching and rewatching the trailer over and over, like a groupie in the front row at a Guns N’ Roses concert, I was able to appreciate some stylistic choices made by Game Kitchen: first and foremost, working with top-tier pixel art for a side-scrolling game, in 2025, is a class touch that does not go unnoticed.
It gives that retro feel, essential for an operation to bring back the very first title in the saga, light years away in terms of technical and graphic department from the 3D versions created by Team Ninja and known over the years on PlayStation and Xbox. Kenji makes a grand entrance and does so without holding back: the moves on screen closely resemble those of his illustrious predecessor (and perhaps mentor, who knows), and the vividness of the colors and the fluidity of the movements of all the
characters on screen are jaw-dropping, as the reviewers of video game magazines used to say in the nineties.
L’legacy of the conversion on NES, one of the best ever conceived on console as far as I’m concerned, shines through in the entire minute and a half of the trailer viewed: the developers have promised a rising difficulty curve that will put even the most skilled players of the original title to the test, and that can only please me since that is exactly what gamers like me look for: clearing a level with the energy bar almost depleted, so-called by the skin of one’s teeth, is the most satisfying thing ever; anyone who says otherwise is lying and knows it well. The anime-style introduction immediately leads us into the heart of the story: the village in flames, Ryu Hayabusa sending us to check it out, and an army of demonic enemies who want to tear us to pieces as soon as we set foot inside: the sprites are phenomenal and the animations of Kenji’s ninjutsu transformations seem truly well done.
My keen eye for detail has also caught some particularly appreciated references, especially if you grew up on bread and shuriken like yours truly: for example, a level in the forest glimpsed in the trailer seems to be an outright homage to Legend of Kage, an unforgettable Taito masterpiece, with its cyclopean trees reaching toward the sky and branches serving as platforms over which to jump and ambush the enemies lying in wait there!
In short, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound
is set to become one of the most eagerly awaited titles of 2025, and if it can
keep the promises it is making, then we will be looking at a new
legend.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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