Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn Review: A Retro Remake Done Right

Natsume’s 1990 action game classic Shadow of the Ninja is now back with a lovingly crafted remake under the fitting title of Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn. While it never was quite as beloved as Ninja Gaiden, its two-player co-op helped it find plenty of fans back in the day. Now, over 30 years later, it’s able to reach a more modern audience with a lovingly crafted remake.

Playing as your choice of two ninjas (Hayate and Kaede), the player is armed with a katana for melee attacks and a kusarigama (a chained weapon) for ranged attacks. Add in some throwable weapons that are limited in quantity, such as grenades and shurikens, and you have plenty of ways to get rid of the game’s many enemies. Despite its NES roots, the action is pretty robust as you can crouch, climb ladders, use overhangs, and even summon a thunderstorm as a special attack that costs a large chunk of their health. It’s a testament to how good game design doesn’t age, as this is a faithful remake that is still a ton of fun to play.

There’s also plenty that is unique to Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn, though. While the five stages of the original are faithfully recreated, including all the highly difficult platform puzzles that will remind you that games used to be far more difficult, there is an all-new sixth stage that really allows the developer to have fun and go all-out. The character illustrations and new pixel art look fantastic, a massive update over the 8-bit version, and it’s just a really pretty game to play. There are also online rankings, two difficulty options (good luck to those that take on the hard mode as it’s already quite challenging), and a time attack mode for extra replayability.

As mentioned, Shadow of the Ninja is still quite a difficult game. While some of this is due to all of the enemies you face, which always pose a threat if you get sloppy, it’s also due to the dangerous levels. You really have to be nimble like an actual ninja and carefully navigate the stages if you want to come out of it with your lives intact. Practice makes perfect, though, and the game is actually quite short if you’re good at it, as it can be beaten in a little over an hour. That being said, expect it to take quite a bit more if you’re looking to master it.

Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn Review: Final Verdict

Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is a remake done right as it stays faithful to the original and adds in some modern bells and whistles while not compromising on the gameplay front. If you’re looking for a retro action game that is challenging and fun to repeatedly die at then you’ve found just that.

Disclaimer: Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.005.000.