Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong
Developer: NatsumeAtari
Publisher: ININ Games
Genre: Action, Arcade, Fighting
Price: $19.99
Back in the nineties, the two dimensional beat-'em-up genre was in its prime. Games like Golden Axe and Double Dragon found a niche in the fickle market by giving audiences fast, intense, action-packed experiences. Seeing the trend, Taito released Ninja Warriors on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. For a port of a seven-year-old arcade offering, it held up well; in fact, it was praised for its tight controls, good pacing, and vibrant art style, all while cashing in on its ninja aesthetic. That said, no sequel was planned or made, effectively relegating it as a footnote in history.
Until now, that is. Ninja Warriors has made its way to modern consoles 25 years after its original release via The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, a remaster aimed at wowing a whole new generation of gamers. As with its source material, it focuses on control of one of three ninjas out to battle an evil regime existing in a dystopian timeline. And, as with its source material, it's extremely challenging, From the moment it's booted up, it presents crisp, redrawn graphics that belie just how much of the gameplay design remains unchanged. It looks like a 2019 release, but still plays like its 1994 self.
In The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, the opposition comes in large numbers, and aggressively so; enemies are a constant threat if underestimated, and can bring up a Game Over screen at a moment's notice. Powerups are fairly uncommon, thus making mistakes all but fatal, and the plentiful number of boss characters can prove to be Sisyphean hurdles even to veterans of the genre. On the flipside, the three playable characters have their own unique fighting styles and respond fluidly to commands; they are able to attack, block, and dodge at a moment's notice. Likewise, they can perform a variety of special moves through the consumption of a resource bar.
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors isn't overly long, but its replay value is enhanced by the uniqueness of the characters. In addition, it boasts of a cooperative feature that raises the fun factor. And while it does little to reinvent the genre, it plays so crisply and fluidly that even newcomers will appreciate its virtues.
THE GOOD:
- Beautifully redrawn two-dimensional graphics
- Smooth, crisp, fluid gameplay
- Good replay value
- Decent coop functions in place
THE BAD:
- Fairly standard beat-'em-up
- Can sometimes feel overly challenging and unfair
- Relatively short, especially for the skilled
RATING: 7/10
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