In genres like platformers or Metroidvanias, you get a lot of games that feel very similar to each other; that’s both natural and inevitable. But what doesn’t happen outside of once in a blue moon is when two games come together so perfectly, they fit together like puzzle pieces — almost like they were made together. But that’s exactly what happened with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, two games that complement each other so much that I’d genuinely recommend people play them at the same time. These are two experiences that revitalized the action platformer in a lot of the same ways, but lean into specific strengths. Any flaws or shortcomings of one can be met by the other, making it the best double feature we’ve seen in games in a long time.
What makes the release of these two games so novel is that they’re both brand new takes on legacy franchises by indie studios — and that’s part of why each one feels so scintillatingly fresh. What’s especially vital is that both studios have a rich history of these kinds of games, and were able to leverage a unique viewpoint to redefine what these franchises mean. Shinobi developer Lizardcube previously worked on Streets of Rage 4 and WonderBoy: The Dragon’s Trap, while Ragebound studio The Game Kitchen is behind the Blasphemous games.
