Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn from ININ Games and Tengo Project brings us a new take on the Natasume classic. Learn more in our Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn review!
Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn from ININ Games and Tengo Project brings us a new take on the Natsume classic. Shadow of the Ninja was originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System – a.k.a. the NES – in 1990. The game was known as Blue Shadow in Europe and Australia. It’s a game I got to enjoy way back then, so I was looking forward to checking out this remake on Nintendo Switch. It’s 2029, and you live in a vicious dystopian future. You must do whatever it takes to defeat the evil Emperor Garuda and its army. We’re getting a revamped presentation for all of the original content spread over 5 levels. On top of that, we’re also getting a brand new level!
You’ll be taking on the role of Hayate or Kaede, who are both members of the Ryuha Shippu ninja clan. Hayate is a young warrior who is destined to become the next leader of the ninja clan… but he has a short temper. Kaede is Hayate’s senior and is a bit more level-headed than him. There are two different options for playing this one: Arcade Mode and Time Attack Mode. For Arcade Mode, you’ll have to clear all 6 stages to beat the final boss and save the day as you collect Prep Money. Clear a level, and you’ll be able to play it in Time Attack Mode. For Time Attack Mode, you’ll pick a stage and try to get the best time possible to clear it as fast as possible.
Once you’re ready to go, you’ll have to choose if you’ll be playing the game in the normal or hard difficulty settings. You’ll control the character of your choice with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, jumping with the A button. Be sure to also keep in mind the mid-air spin you can perform by pressing down on the left analog stick or the D-Pad and the A button while jumping. This will allow you to slightly extend your jump as you hover for a bit, which will be required for clearing some of the trickier jumps in the reworked level layouts you’ll run into.
If you touch a wall while jumping, press the A button to touch a wall. While hanging from a wall, you can press up on the left analog stick or the D-Pad and the A button to perform a wall run. Your katana attack will be mapped to the Y button, and you can launch your kusarigama using the X button in all 8 directions. You have a shadow step ability with the L button that can be used to avoid attacks if you time it right. Be sure to collect weapon upgrades so that you can improve the damage dealt by your main weapon.
Jump and press down on the left analog stick or the D-Pad and the Y button for a downward attack. If you press and hold down the Y button, you can unleash a Ninjitsu attack, which will consume some energy. You can switch between karana mode and gear with the R button so that you can use the ninja gear that you’re carrying. You can stock up to 7 ninja gear items. These items include a piece of bread that can help you recover some of your lost health, large bombs that can deal considerable damage – making them a great option for boss battles – or shuriken that you can launch from a safe distance to deal some extra damage at a fast pace. The Prep Money that you collect while playing Arcade Mode can be used to purchase ninja gear items that you can add to the store as you play through each level. That way, you’ll be able to buy ninja gear at the start of a new game so that you can make the most of it as you try to improve your performance during subsequent runs.
Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn brings us a new take on the Natsume classic. It uses the content from the original 1990 release for the Nintendo Entertainment System – a.k.a. the NES – with an updated presentation for all characters, items, and the five stages of the game, all while also adding an all-new level as well as a Time Attack Mode so that you can test your skills and see how quickly you can complete each level from the Arcade Mode experience. Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is out today on Nintendo Switch with a $19.99 price tag. There’s also a physical version up for pre-order from our friends at Strictly Limited Games, which you can get for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
Disclaimer
This Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by ININ Games.
