Two new 2D ninja platformers revive long-dormant franchises by returning to core mechanics. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound deliberately embraces old-school design and challenge, while Shinobi: Art of Vengeance blends classic elements with modern sensibilities. Shinobi features lush hand-drawn visuals, deep combo-heavy combat, and is developed by Lizardcube, known for reviving classic Sega titles. The player controls Joe Musashi, wielding a katana and kunai, driven by a vengeance plot after his village is destroyed and his clan petrified by ENE Corp and Lord Ruse. The narrative provides motivation but prioritizes action and aesthetics over complex characters or surprising twists.
Both Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance revitalize their respective, long-dormant franchises by successfully harkening back to their roots. There are obvious similarities between the two games, but they're also wildly different. While Ragebound is deliberately old-school, Art of Vengeance feels more modern, paying homage to the past while dragging the absent series into the current gaming landscape.
The Parisian studio knows how to resurrect Sega's past hits with remarkable aplomb, and Art of Vengeance is no different. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Equipped with a katana in one hand and a sharpened batch of kunai in the other, Art of Vengeance reintroduces legendary protagonist Joe Musashi after an extended exile. As the game's title suggests, this is a story about Joe's quest for vengeance, as the opening moments see his village burned to the ground and his ninja clan turned to stone.
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