Like a lot of other 80s kids, the originalNinja Gaidenon 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 forNinja Gaiden: Ragebounddebuted 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. BothBlasphemousand 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 howNinja Gaiden: Rageboundwould compare to that iconic, original NES trilogy ofNinja Gaidengames. And what I’m pleasantly surprised to report now is that, in many ways,Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundsurpasses 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 and16-bit classics, butNinja Gaiden: Rageboundis a lot more than just old-school homage. Instead,Ragebounddeftly 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 original2DNinja Gaidengamesand other similar titles will come intoRageboundand 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) makeRagebounda 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 Brings Old-School Thrills With None of the Frustrations
It bears mentioning that just becauseNinja Gaiden: Rageboundis a more accessible experiencethan the original NES trilogy might offer, that doesn’t mean it’s for the faint of heart. Quite the contrary, asNinja Gaiden: Rageboundis every bit as challenging and demanding as 1989’sNinja Gaidenand 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 whereRageboundthrows 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: Rageboundis undoubtedly more forgiving than its 2D predecessors in the franchise, and it’s a better game for it.
Having just recently replayed and beatenthe original 1989Ninja Gaidenin preparation forRagebound’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 thatNinja Gaiden: Rageboundintroduces into players' arsenal is the Guillotine Jump.
Similar in form and function to the Cloudstep move from the veryNinja Gaiden-likeThe Messenger, the Guillotine Jump is an essential addition inNinja Gaiden: Rageboundthat 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 3DNinja Gaidengames in between stages inRagebound, Muramasa. Just like inTeam Ninja’s character action reboot of the franchise, Muramasa runs a helpful shop inNinja Gaiden: Rageboundthat 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 separatesRageboundfromevery iteration ofNinja Gaidenbefore 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 helpRageboundstand out even further from the series' legacy: the Hypercharge attack and the new platforming challenges.
In the lead-up toRagebound’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 2DNinja Gameswould 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 ofNinja Gaiden: Ragebound’s toughest platforming challenges come into play. Platforming was always a major element of the originalNinja Gaidentrilogy, but inRagebound, 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 bothBlasphemousandBlasphemous 2, and the team has once again set a new high bar for other pixel art games to clear withNinja Gaiden: Ragebound. For their time, the originalNinja Gaidengames were some of the best-lookingaction-platformer titles on the NES(especially where inventive environmental and enemy design were concerned), andNinja Gaiden: Rageboundcarries that tradition forward by being one of the best-looking and fluidly animated titles of its ilk.
The same can be said forNinja 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 evenRagebound’s sound effects are commendable. I played through the entirety ofRageboundon 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: Ragebounddoes so much right that it almost qualifies as a perfect action-platformer. It’s already one of the best games in theNinja Gaidenseries 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 thatNinja 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 NESNinja Gaidengames. On Normal difficulty, the length of stages is a blessing more than anything else, because you’ll likely find yourself just wanting to experiencemoreof 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.
ThatRagebound’s story runs concurrently to the events of the firstNinja Gaidenis fitting, asRageboundis 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.
Reviewed on PC
WHERE TO PLAY
Ninja Gaiden: Rageboundreleases July 23, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this review.
