Ninja Gaiden Spin-Off: A Retro Gateway Converted Me

Diving into Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

During the 2024 Game Awards, one announcement that particularly piqued my interest was Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. This side-scrolling action platformer seemed to be a loving homage to the classic Ninja Gaiden titles. The gorgeously rendered, bloody pixel-art animations, the intimidating bosses, and the fast-paced hack-and-slash gameplay all looked incredibly appealing, even though I’d never actually played a Ninja Gaiden game before.

Truth be told, the Ninja Gaiden series always intimidated me. Its reputation for brutal difficulty, with death traps lurking around every corner and enemies capable of stun-locking you into oblivion or delivering one-hit kills if you weren’t constantly on your guard, was enough to keep me away. However, after honing my gaming skills over the years and being drawn in by Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound’s retro aesthetic, I found myself seriously considering giving the franchise a go with this new Xbox release. Then, in April 2025, the second playable character reveal trailer dropped, showcasing even more over-the-top combat and platforming, solidifying its place on my wishlist.

I was eager to get my hands on this game, and thanks to a review code, I was finally able to do just that. So, does this new Ninja Gaiden spin-off successfully pay tribute to its legacy while also providing a welcoming entry point for newcomers like myself? Let’s delve in and find out.

What Ragebound Is All About

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a side-scrolling action platformer that puts you in the roles of Kenji Mozu, a member of the Hayabusa ninja clan, and Kumori, a member of the Black Spider ninja clan – the Hayabusa clan’s sworn enemies.

The narrative kicks off when these two opposing ninjas find themselves forced to collaborate after a disastrous encounter with malevolent demons results in their bodies and souls being fused together. Now, Kenji and Kumori are in a race against time to revert to their separate selves and thwart the demons’ sinister plot to resurrect their evil Demon Lord, whose goal is to plunge the world into eternal darkness.

The gameplay in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound follows a classic, linear structure. You progress through a series of levels teeming with enemies and challenging boss encounters.

Players must utilise Kenji and Kumori’s acrobatic ninja skills to slice through enemies and navigate perilous obstacles. Switching between the two characters is essential for completing optional platforming challenges. Keen-eyed players can uncover hidden collectibles that can be exchanged for upgrades. And, of course, you’ll need to confront gigantic bosses that will quickly crush you if you lose focus.

A Rekindled Love for Action Platformers

It’s been quite some time since I last played a side-scrolling platformer, and I must say, returning to the genre with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound was a delightful experience. The game’s presentation is fantastic. The environments and character designs are beautifully detailed, featuring intricate 16-bit sprite graphics and animations.

I particularly enjoyed the visual spectacle of enemies exploding in a shower of pixelated gore, which sometimes remains in the background, adding an extra layer of immersion to the combat. The combat system and platforming gameplay were also highlights for me.

Kenji and Kumori have access to a wide array of cool ninja weapons and abilities to decimate their opponents. These include swift sword strikes that can deflect projectiles, a Guillotine Boost jump that allows players to bounce off enemies and projectiles to reach otherwise inaccessible platforms, charged attacks that can only be performed by defeating specific enemies or sacrificing health, and powerful super moves capable of clearing the entire screen of enemies.

The level design is also exceptional, featuring a variety of death traps and obstacles that demand quick thinking and creative use of the game’s mechanics to overcome.

For example, in some levels, I deliberately left certain enemies alive so that I could use the Guillotine Boost jump to bounce off them, making it easier to reach platforms that I struggled to access normally.

Each level also features cleverly hidden, Metroidvania-style side paths that contain lucrative rewards, such as unlockable secret, super-hard levels or items used to purchase character upgrades, rewarding players who pay close attention to their surroundings.

Challenging but Fair, Rewarding Newcomers

The game’s difficulty is tough but fair. At first, it can feel overwhelming due to the sheer number of enemies charging at you and the abundance of traps scattered throughout each level.

However, once you learn the enemy attack patterns and master the available tools, you’ll start to feel like a true ninja master, slicing and dicing through enemies in the blink of an eye without taking a hit. The feeling of accomplishment is incredibly satisfying.

Furthermore, the game incorporates several quality-of-life improvements to make the experience less frustrating for newcomers. For instance, the archaic lives system from the original NES Ninja Gaiden is absent, so you don’t have to worry about starting the entire game over if you die.

Additionally, if you get hit while jumping, you can use the Guillotine Boost technique to rebound in mid-air to reorient yourself and safely land on a nearby platform, preventing a fatal fall (most of the time, anyway).

However, these quality-of-life improvements don’t detract from the challenge of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. The enemies, bosses, and sadistic traps in each level will still tear you to shreds repeatedly if you don’t stay vigilant.

For those seeking an even greater challenge, there are purchasable items that can increase the difficulty (e.g., restarting a level from scratch upon dying, taking extra damage from enemies), super-hard side missions to complete, and an unlockable Hard Mode that becomes available after beating the game once.

This is what I appreciate most about Ragebound: it’s brutal, but it also provides assistance and rewards to newcomers who are eager to improve their skills, without alienating long-time veterans who play Ninja Gaiden for its hardcore difficulty.

Final Verdict

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It’s a well-crafted, short but sweet tribute to the origins of Ninja Gaiden, packed with superb gameplay, beautiful pixel-art graphics, and a tough but fair difficulty curve.

It also offers a decent amount of replay value, with numerous post-game unlockables and challenges to discover. However, it’s not without its flaws.

The simple plot exists primarily to propel players to the next action sequence as quickly as possible. The gear system feels restrictive, as you can only equip a limited number of items and weapons. And there are a few bugs that caused unintentional, unfair deaths, such as making certain platforms invisible.

If you grew up playing the original NES Ninja Gaiden games in the 1980s and 1990s, or if you simply enjoy action platformers that push your skills to the limit, such as Hollow Knight or Cuphead, then this game is a must-have.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is scheduled for release on July 31st for Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam.