I wish more people took the design of action games seriously rather than relegating them to a broad category of "mindless buttonmashers". There's precious little genuine analysis, discussion and illumination on the fundamentals and finer points of this genre. (The single, slight, exception being FPS)
I know it is really frustrating, because then games like this that are so well designed don't get appreciated as being well made as they are. Because this game stands out to me as being particularly excellent, even among the better action platformers.
Yeah in a way I feel like the lack of analysis led to a lot what Mark has talked about with low gameplay density and middling, low rigor design. A lot of action games are the equivalent of one of those anime arena-fighters that Bandai pumps out. Yes they have mechanics, but they are nowhere near the level of a serious fighting game like SF, VF, KoF, Tekken, DoA, etc.
What I hate is whenever an action game is simple to play, but has play mechanics & rulesets that are as deep as a Tengo project game, it always gets grouped up into one homogenized label called "Arcadey" lol. It's said as a derogatory term. Modern gamers hate arcadey games, because they feel it's too "cartoony" & that it reminds them that they're playing a game. Whatever the F that means. I rarely hear anyone whine that a Movie is too movie or a book is too booky, but video games are constantly graded down for being too "Gamey".
absolutely. they need a mentoring program... makes me think of the last few remaining swordsmiths scattered around rural japan. It's so relevant to japan's culture and arts and in danger of being lost.
I was just thinking the same thing, even for the pixel art. Almost all of the modern 'retro' titles fail to come close to the original punch and clarity of the games they're trying to emulate or venerate. And often with a more generous budget and deadline.
I didn't even blink before buying this one because so far, every retro revival game Natsume has put out(Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, Wild Guns Reloaded, The Ninja Saviors Return of the Warriors) has been excellent! All of them have innovated on their original source material in really interesting ways.
Absolutely! I have enjoyed them all as well, but I think Shadow Reborn is the best, both in terms of building on the original game and also just outright as its own game 😊
I'm curious how you think Pocky and Rocky Reshrined innovated on the source material? I'm not doubting you, I played and loved that game, but to me it felt just like the old games but new and "fresh". Probably the innovation went under my radar and just contributed to it feeling new and not stale.
I have all of them too. They certainly do a great job polishing and expanding the originals, but P&R and Wild Guns suffer badly from near unworkable controls. P&R should have had twinstick controls, and Wild Guns mouse control. I don't care 'being true to the original', I care about good control.
@@ralfvanbogaert3451 Pocky & Rocky works fine because it has a block button to deflect shots, plus a dodge. I def agree with you on Wild Guns, there's too much micro managing involved due to the controls. You have to stop shooting just to melee, you stand still just to shoot so you're stuck constantly rolling around the stage while taking pot shots. Makes me wish that you could free aim during a jump.
Nastume other game are Dragon Fighter, Shatterhand / SolBrain and linces games are Power Rangers, Gundam Duel wing, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, 3 eye boy/ Mitsume ga Toru. If Tengo Project remake some game like Shadow ninja in such big game, then they surly can remake Dragon Fighter which was simple but unique game
Very interesting that you specifically mention "risk and reward" as an important part of creating fun. Masahiro Sakurai has said exactly the same thing in his game development video series! In fact, everything you mentioned in that entire section is so true about retro vs. the plethora of indies today. Subbed.
Hey man, I know I’m a little late to the party, but I wanna say that I think you’ve become one of my favorite game review channels. The way you talk about the true game design, and how the design in of itself can be art, really makes me happy. I’ve always believed games can do more than just have cinematic stories, and actually do something only a video game can pull off (Nier automata comes to mind). I’m glad you barely if ever talk about “culture war” bullshit because it barely matters. This is just pure unfettered discussion of games and their design aspects. It’s so refreshing to see, and I hope you take off!
Mark, I think the best way to play the game is going to be Arcade mode, not Time attack. Here's why: #1 - You score points for kills. #2 - You score points for time remaining at stage end. #3 - You score points for items remaining in your inventory at stage end. #4. - The leaderboard records for a full run. So in arcade mode you will need to maximize kills, route through all stages quickly, and also play pure (No item usage). At game start you will want to select the 7 most valuable items to carry and not use or swap any of them out during play. The only drawback of course is that you will first want to unlock all 50+ in-game items as some will be worth more bonus points than others.
@@TheElectricUndergroundyeah, after watching your review I've been reading into them. ININ has a good mini documentary with the team on their channel. Ton of respect to the three kings
@@glasssoup7549 you're welcome. Old guard Japanese devs are too humble to advertise themselves so we gotta spread the word on their behalf. The ININ head seems like a pretty diehard fan too. He seems more motivated by passion than pure business sense, seeking out very obscure titles like Osman Cannon Dancer to publish
The depth of your reviews is refreshing as always. This is the kind of critique we need. I just know that any mainstream outlet that covers this game will paint in super broad strokes, saying things like “punishingly hard old school design” and inserting a bunch of appeals to the past that dismiss or patronize the real depth, intentionality, and innovation a title like this brings.
This game coming out close to Wukong is hilarious, as the big new title that everyone's going crazy over is just another AAA-like underwheling action game with the same old trends, meanwhile this small game is what a true action game looks like. I knew this qas gonna be great when I saw Iconoclaust playing it.
Yeah it's funny how this game is easy in game of year contention for my channel, but it wouldn't be taken seriously on a larger channel but Wukong will certainly just based on the size and budget
Now this is a master class on Gaming Design, the old school devs are showing us how it's done. I hope Shatterhand gets the same treatment, one could dream.
These Natsume games have all been fantastic, but this one is my favorite. It's just UNREAL. While we've had plenty of great action platformers in the last couple decades, the only modern one that I personally think truly measured up to the 16-bit era classics was GnG Resurrection....until Shadow of the Ninja came out. I'm still too early in the honeymoon period to say for certain, but my first impression after a few runs is that this could stand shoulder to shoulder with the GnG, Rondo, Alien Soldier, etc. I think it's just that good
Ghost N Goblins graphics stop me from giving a shot tho. It just looks to flash gamey to me. But October is coming up and, might need something to play for that month.
@@superpowerman4354i agree that the graphics are a little hokey - but it is a legit good game. If the graphics turn you off, check out Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins (PSP) if you have an emulator. It’s another modern re-imagining of GnG but the graphics were more standard 3D- different from Resurrection, but sharing many of its design elements
It’s crazy to me that Tengho Project still has this magic despite how long they’ve been in this industry. Seeing other companies I love like Capcom, Konami and even SNK in some regards stagnate and sterilize as time has passed really set in my head the notion that game design both mechanically and visually would just be stuck the way it is now and that veterans to not get left behind also shifted with the times. But then Tengho Project has come out with all of their remakes with not just great new pixel art but legitimately great new character designs that stand toe to toe with the old ones which I think most companies could not hope to accomplish near consistently. Maybe it’s cause they’re so small and don’t have too many cooks in the kitchen but damn I hope they keep it up until they can’t anymore.
LOL I just booted this game. I love how this review focuses on the gameplay mechanics and how tight and well thought out they are. Which is all 100% true, but I wasn’t prepared for how TIGHT🔥 the level design was. Holy crap, the level of routing required here is so satisfying and it does remind me of hard shmups. DAMN. I’m shocked this game even exists. 🙀
Natsume/Tengo Project just never miss! I absolutely LOVED Pocky & Rocky re-shrined and all the other remakes. This one has been on my radar since they announced it. Good to see they're still in great form! Cheers for the insightful review, as always.
I have to preface this comment with the obligatory, I love the game. That said, the inventory system is a love and hate relationship to me. On the one hand, I agree that having that deliberate risk reward system in place for when you consume health items is fantastic and I love it... Now for the hate part... The weapon system... The weapon pick ups are unnecessary and actively bad, in my opinion. The limited charge weapons often deal less damage than your standard attacks, especially when you're fully powered up, making them a horrible choice in almost every situation. This is compounded by the fact that you can't drop the weapon pick ups, so inventory management becomes a glaring flaw, especially on subsequent runs. You want to stack health items, that's great! You better remember where all those health items are and not pick up anything else, or waste valuable time trying to expend those weapon charges to get rid of that pointless item in your inventory. If your inventory is full, and you pick up a weapon? Good luck! The inventory management is non-existent when it comes to which item will drop. The number of times I had to reset because I accidentally picked up a weapon and it popped the back of the array store to drop a valuable health item only to make me lose time is an annoyance at best, and actively infuriating at worst. This is easily alleviated by remembering where the health pick ups are and just not bothering to pick up weapons, but them simply existing is a stain on my personal enjoyment of the item system. In my opinion, weapon pick ups should either be buffed to the point where using them makes taking the risk a worthwhile consideration, or just doing away with them altogether and just keep the standard health pick ups. My 2 cents on an otherwise great review. I just thought I'd share my own personal thoughts on it.
Rocket Knight Adventures had the same sword/projectile implementation. It was exciting to stand right up against the boss, hitting him with the sword and doing extra damage as the game slowed down with projectiles landing all over the place. I don't think I've seen it anywhere else. Even the sequel dropped the short range projectile in favor of a slower sword slash with a longer lasting hit box.
Bro get out of my head!! I was literally wondering what you might think of this game and all of Natsumes last couple releases! Wild Guns Reloaded The Ninja Saviors Pocky and Rocky Reshrined
I'm so blown away by how good this turned out to be. Just finished normal and had to peel myself away to watch. 100% agreed, full run time attack and checkpoint manipulation for practice would be great additions to this. If they don't do it, someone in the speedrun community will likely find a way to hack it in, so hopefully they just get it done and it doesn't have to come to that. This is a game worth spending deep time with. The original game has multiple hits on the grappling attack too by the way. Not sure if you were aware or not. Much more refined here though for sure.
Mark, you need to keep these reviews coming man, as a gamer who loves difficulty I find it hard to find games and your recommendations would guarantee a great time for me. Thanks for all you do!
Wow this game looks great. Original japanese devs making classic style games rarely happens anymore.. I'm happy to see it. And the graphics look like real deal 2-d style.... most modern "retro" games try to adopt the 2d style but don't succeed because they use too many modern tools. Its a meticulous art form that can't be approximated.
I realy cannot comperhand how some reviwers gave low ratings saying the game was too hard or the jumpung were not precised or that it looks like a 30 yesrs old game when this game a true masterpice even compared to other current similar type of games
I know you are giving this a serious analysis from a design and gameplay stand point but LOOK AT IT! Its also god damn gorgeous. I kneel before the might of Tengo Project.
Tengo Project just does not miss. Even the one game of theirs I didn't personally click with - Ninja Saviors - I would absolutely consider a masterpiece. Meaningful and considered game mechanics! A demanding, fair and well-balanced level of challenge! Goddamn, you love to see it.
I loved the demo of this and plan to get it next Friday when I get paid. I love this developer. I put so many hours into their games on Switch. The Pocky & rocky, wild guns, and that ninja one I forgot the name of. They look gorgeous, and play fantastic
What a great review. I’m usually a “wait till it’s on sale” guy, but I just ordered a physical copy after watching this. The developers deserve some launch love.
I happen to love pause because while playing a game things may interrupt. I can pause a movie for the same reason. I like what you said about active menus though. I want gameplay to be affected by in game strategy. Pausing should just be pausing! But i do love original RE4's menu organization. It is very satisfying. That is a pause menu done right.
i swear, this is like one of the few remakes i've seen recently that isn't weirdly ashamed of what the original game was, i'm so happy these natsume remakes get to exist.
It was an interesting experience trying to get this game physical from Gamestop. Pre-ordered it never came in, called literally 9 or 10 other GameStops. No one had a copy. Then, finally yesterday my copy showed up. Couldn't be happier. I don't buy AAA games or many other games for that matter, but was really looking forward to this one since it announced. I bought the previous 3 Tengo Remakes and loved em. Can't wait to dig into this this weekend.
Natsume has absolutely been killing it with their remastered games. Wild Guns Re-armed, Ninja Saviors Return of the Warriors, Pocky and Rocky Re-shrined, and now Shadow of the Ninja reborn. Adding onto an already solid framework of gameplay with even more than what they could have with original limitations. Easily one of my favorite Developers
Damn. If Tengo Project are getting this comfortable riffing on the originals, I really want to see what they can do with Shatterhand and Dragon Fighter. Dragon Fighter's ability for the player to turn a platformer into a shmup on command has so much untapped design space. It'd be incredibly hard to pull off well. But with attention to detail and good level design, I think it has the potential to be a masterpiece.
Great video! Your deep analysis of game design is what keeps me coming back to your channel. I agree with your thoughts on remakes/remasters. Too often they are just swallow more aesthetic updates of the game, especially in regards to updating games from the 8-bit era. I was interested in this game when I first saw it announced. ININ is a great publisher bringing us gems like these the big guys don't want to take a risk on. I didn't realize this was developed by the original devs, making this a really unique piece of game art. Thanks for your hard work shining a light on games like Shadow of the Ninja.
I watched the video quickly, but I got the feeling that you brought out what many people don't see because they lack patience. The game's mechanics are very fine and subtle, designed to fit into a complex level design that requires a thorough analysis of the structure of the levels, the timings and the enemies to be killed (or dodged). In short, optimising every action to understand the full richness and depth of the game. And it's almost certain that in the coming months we'll start to see runs that will bring out all the qualities of the game system (character control + weaponry). In my opinion, if you learn to speedrun (at best) the 1st stage, you'll soon realise that everything is built around a certain logic. I don't watch your videos much, but thanks for this one, because when I see the reviews of some youtubers (in France), the level of analysis is very low (with a few exceptions) and their vision of the game is completely off the mark.
Nice review! Now that an action platformer has become your game of the year, please review more of them! Also, seems like it didn't need a hitstun to become the game of the year, it just needed push-back.
Lately I've started to feel like platformers need to have a good combat system either influenced by run-n-guns or beat-em-ups. I feel like most platformer bosses suck because all you can really do is run or jump in different ways. Most of them try to compensate for this by adding wait times (bad), introducing some kind of gimmick (bad) or both (really bad). I guess there's also the option of not having bosses in your game period, but a part of me feels like that's a super lame compromise. At the VERY least, the level itself should feel like an enemy and actively try to fight against the player with dynamic moving elements. Also just giving character movement itself risk/reward. I'm sick of so many platformers AAA and indie alike with lame bosses, static level design and "buttery smooth" controls with zero input delay on anything.
I really hope less developers integrate double jump in platformers. I get that in a metroidvaina or a platform-fighter, but in pure platformers, the commitment is part of the challenge. And challenge is fun.
You need to get your toes into game development because you always have good takes on making good games. You should really try it. Especially when your thumbnail editor, Boghog, made a shmup himself. Maybe start with a shmup?
@@TheElectricUnderground For such a student of arcade game design, you totally need to get into game design to show exactly why you know your stuff, even if it is a small scale game, it should go absolutely hard.
@@TheElectricUnderground Good luck. Starting small is wise, and I'm excited to see how experience making games will refine your views. I'd volunteer to help you program them, but I'm already busy enough with my own gamedev projects...
One kind of platformer I've seen lacking from the options, is what if Simon's whip actually pushed you back alongside the moving enemy while it's delay is still active? Say, a bat flying at you takes two hits, but if you do hit it the first time you'll be pushed back for the duration of the hit. This gives you one more free hit at equal distance to the bat, but you've lost your footing in the environment. Replace that with knockback. So to avoid knockback you actualll have to tank the hit by hugging the enemy, and lose the collectibles or EXP. Wouldn't this be interesting to code as well? The mechanics of how a whip strike locks you with the enemy, or the options to extend your whip and therefore the strike delay. Absolutely free idea to use, I'll go to GameStop tomorrow and ask if they have this game in stock (and the answer is always no). As a joke the whip could just be a plank of wood, to mock how Super Castlevania ruined the franchise. Instead of grappling you could use the plank as a see-saw, and have Kurumin kinds of challenges.
It’s always good when there’s a new Tengo Project game to play. Really interested to see what they do next. I think we’re hitting a point now where the old games are licensed things they can’t just do straight remakes of, and things the Tengo Project members weren’t leads on, or didn’t work on at all. They’ve had a pretty good pace going since The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, it’ll be interesting to see if the next game is also a remake, or if it’s something new.
What an amazing surprise! Nobody talked about this game when I got it for NES. I found it too easy after playing games like Ninja Gaiden but SoTN was a super solid game and it had the co-op play. My god, never in a million years would I expect a remake. Looks awesome.
Great to see. Was going to pick this one up anyway. Good shit. Good point about real time item use. Ninja Gaiden and NGB for the OG Xbox has this issue. One big flaw of those games was having to constantly go into the menus to either weapon switch or heal. They also had a punishment mechanic where if you tried to go into the pause menu when you were either airborne or in the middle of taking damage you couldnt heal in the menu, something along those lines. It felt very clunky to constantly interrupt the game to heal, especially when learning the game initially. Sigma titles later fixed this by putting most of those commands on the D-pad and being able to do alot of that shit in real time, even weapon switch. I think that should always be the case. Its always looks shitty in gameplay videos and also kills the pacing of an action game to have to use menus for basic shit mid game. Its good to see theres alot of depth in the combat. Target Earth had a similiar mechanic with how you recharged your health. You had to find safe spots to regen your health, so there was a tactical mechanic to healing. Im going to check this out today. Picked it up on steam and downloaded it on the switch emulator. Even though I can play alot of these indies for free through a Switch emulator, I try to purchase the ones that really stand out to support the companies. This one looks like that type of game. It also works out as its 2 KILLS for the KILL LIST. Maybe Ill make a tutorial on my second playthrough of the Switch version or Hard mode if its worthwhile.
Awesome review, but I think you may be "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" with your war on 'pause'. I'd argue all games need a pause but for arcade genres they could just limit what you can do while using it. E.g., you can pause a game but all actions and selections must be done in real time.
Yeah, a pause menu that just blocks your view of the screen would work, so you can deal with a crying baby or a pet that needs something while not losing out of the tension, and it's hardly unprecedented. Pausing is a must for any retro game, considering that its audience is generally now old enough to have families. Also, IIRC, NES games would usually pause by just freezing the screen, maybe having the word "PAUSE" show up, so it's not like letting the player see the game screen is un-"retro" historically.
Have to say, I really enjoyed the in-depth analysis of various mechanics, like spending 3 minutes on your basic attack. This type of thoughtful content is getting pretty rare these days online, it feels like. Also good point on having the core mechanics be fun in and of themselves. I think Sekiro did this well, with the deflection / swordplay carrying you all the way through if you want. And for another example, Bionic Commando Rearmed, and even the 3D version, had rock solid movement mechanics with the bionic arm - learning to swing around the levels at breakneck speeds is already great and quite unique.
Look, my rules are really simple. This guy recommends a game, I buy it, I play it, I love it. Never failed me yet. The sword slash projectile reminds me a lot of Rocket Knight Adventures. No bad thing.
What a great review, seriously thanks. I've watched at least three other reviews on this game as I was concerned this was going to be a weak shadow of its former self and, my goodness, are most video game reviews completely worthless outside of showing some footage/screenshots of the game and pointing out obvious game breaking bugs. Also, I've really got to dig through my backlog and fish out the Wild Guns and Pock and Rocky remakes if they are this good.
I remember blue shadow on the nes. my grans workmate used to lend her nes games for me to play every few weeks. this was one of them, I was still in primary school when I played it. It wasn't until recently a year or so ago I found out when setting this game up on retroarch that blue shadow (the UK name) was actually called shadow of the Ninja in the US and Japan. and now I find out about this new reborn game from you 😊 Thankyou Electric Underground 👍
Great review. Glad to see Tengo Project finally getting some respect from someone. I would it if you reviewed their other recent-ish games as well: Rocky and Pocky Reshrined, Ninja Savours Return of the Ninja Warriors, and Wild Guns Reloaded.
I agree to you The Electric Underground, Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn is still a greatest 2D action games ever made due to very interesting innovative gameplay design and very good graphics. 😁👍
Playing their Ninja Warriors Return remake made me glad the original developers worked on it. If it was anyone else, they would've turned into a 2d Devil May Cry combofest instead of about crowd control.
just beat this, the controls quite stiff-feeling, doubly so with Kaede's nerfed jump. Can't wait to go back and practice but it's hard to get used to, especially the inventory system. It'd feel a lot better if it was a snappy super-metroid type weapon swap.
I played the demo multiple times. Down and jump let's do you a spin to jump further. And if you need a few more pixels horizontally, down stab with your sword. You can also down stab enemies in air to bounce off them.
I’m buying this game now and I hope a lot of other people do too. The original was one of my favorite NES games and one of the best co-op games. I loved the demo and I hope we get more games like it.
Love the critique, but I think your opinions on pausing in games is blinded by your point of view. I view pausing as more of an accessibility feature for people that have other things to do. Not to be mean, but sometimes life just gets in the way, and I think people should be able to pause for these moments. Either way, it's up to the player if they want to pause, and it's not something designed to make the game easier for chuds. I like how you bias your critiques favorably towards designs that require the player to learn and get better at the game. It's nice to see games that reward players for meeting their demands be celebrated, studied and preserved, and I think your channel does an ok job of doing this. I wonder, do you have any interest in design and development, yourself?
When it comes to items in action games, I like both interacting with items in the pause menu and scrolling through them to use during gameplay like in Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Having the choice is my favorite!
Very awesome stuff, and congratulations on going full-time, Mark! You definitely deserve it. Lord knows that Tengo Project has been doing our favorites justice. We just took a casual look at Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, and Ninja Saviors is up next!
Mirage Feathers, Card en Ciel, Iron Meat and this game looks very interesting. Half a year of 2024 have been kinda boring for smaller games but I hope it does revitalize my enjoyment. Also, do you mind checking "The Super Pie Throwing"? Its a pretty interesting scoring game and its also free.
While the NES original back in the day was facing comparison to Ninja Gaiden to the point its planned Game Boy port was instead developed into an official Ninja Gaiden entry published by Tecmo, it feels like this remake leans much harder into the DNA it shares with Capcom's Strider.
Never even heard of this but you got me playing the original version currently. Definitely getting this one when it comes. Their wild guns reloaded was great
Providing insights into game design especially in the context of retro and new games, maybe slim shady’s greatest contribution to our hobby. And that’s saying a lot given the class leading shmup content provided over several years now.
I wish more people took the design of action games seriously rather than relegating them to a broad category of "mindless buttonmashers". There's precious little genuine analysis, discussion and illumination on the fundamentals and finer points of this genre. (The single, slight, exception being FPS)
I know it is really frustrating, because then games like this that are so well designed don't get appreciated as being well made as they are. Because this game stands out to me as being particularly excellent, even among the better action platformers.
Yeah in a way I feel like the lack of analysis led to a lot what Mark has talked about with low gameplay density and middling, low rigor design.
A lot of action games are the equivalent of one of those anime arena-fighters that Bandai pumps out. Yes they have mechanics, but they are nowhere near the level of a serious fighting game like SF, VF, KoF, Tekken, DoA, etc.
Monster hunter is a good example of an action game where the action is deliberate
What I hate is whenever an action game is simple to play, but has play mechanics & rulesets that are as deep as a Tengo project game, it always gets grouped up into one homogenized label called "Arcadey" lol. It's said as a derogatory term. Modern gamers hate arcadey games, because they feel it's too "cartoony" & that it reminds them that they're playing a game. Whatever the F that means. I rarely hear anyone whine that a Movie is too movie or a book is too booky, but video games are constantly graded down for being too "Gamey".
And, nown, try to enter into the VG "remaster or remake" supposed "debate" in a way that makes sense while undestanding what remastering actually is.
We gotta raid the Japanese gamedev retirement homes for talent. You're not done yet, grandpa. At least teach the kids before going
absolutely. they need a mentoring program... makes me think of the last few remaining swordsmiths scattered around rural japan. It's so relevant to japan's culture and arts and in danger of being lost.
I was just thinking the same thing, even for the pixel art. Almost all of the modern 'retro' titles fail to come close to the original punch and clarity of the games they're trying to emulate or venerate. And often with a more generous budget and deadline.
@@Misanola Yeah, two of my favorite recent pixel art projects have been this & Devil Blade Reboot - both by experienced JP devs
I'll never let any of the Vanillaware studio retire. I'll even learn necromancy just to keep them cooking forever.
@@boghogSTG i also happen to ask myself back then "why can't I enjoy games that aren't made by a japanese?". It kinda feels weird, tbh.
I didn't even blink before buying this one because so far, every retro revival game Natsume has put out(Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, Wild Guns Reloaded, The Ninja Saviors Return of the Warriors) has been excellent! All of them have innovated on their original source material in really interesting ways.
Absolutely! I have enjoyed them all as well, but I think Shadow Reborn is the best, both in terms of building on the original game and also just outright as its own game 😊
Yeah man I love them all
I'm curious how you think Pocky and Rocky Reshrined innovated on the source material? I'm not doubting you, I played and loved that game, but to me it felt just like the old games but new and "fresh". Probably the innovation went under my radar and just contributed to it feeling new and not stale.
I have all of them too. They certainly do a great job polishing and expanding the originals, but P&R and Wild Guns suffer badly from near unworkable controls. P&R should have had twinstick controls, and Wild Guns mouse control. I don't care 'being true to the original', I care about good control.
@@ralfvanbogaert3451 Pocky & Rocky works fine because it has a block button to deflect shots, plus a dodge. I def agree with you on Wild Guns, there's too much micro managing involved due to the controls. You have to stop shooting just to melee, you stand still just to shoot so you're stuck constantly rolling around the stage while taking pot shots. Makes me wish that you could free aim during a jump.
This channel is legit my top game design channel right now.
No1 for sure.
That s awesome!!! Thank you for the kind words :-)
Wild Guns, Ninja Saviors, Pocky and Rocky....this might be Natsume's best remake yet.
Nastume other game are Dragon Fighter, Shatterhand / SolBrain and linces games are Power Rangers, Gundam Duel wing, Ghost Sweeper Mikami, 3 eye boy/ Mitsume ga Toru.
If Tengo Project remake some game like Shadow ninja in such big game, then they surly can remake Dragon Fighter which was simple but unique game
@@Jackrost01 Don't forget about Pocky & Rocky 2!
@@Jackrost01 I would kill for an Endless Duel remake from these guys.
I don't like the protagonist desogn. She looks kind of fat. They could ve made a hotter version of her.
@@elbarhoumianas6408 I think you want attention for your comment, here it is ----> attention
Enjoy
Very interesting that you specifically mention "risk and reward" as an important part of creating fun. Masahiro Sakurai has said exactly the same thing in his game development video series! In fact, everything you mentioned in that entire section is so true about retro vs. the plethora of indies today. Subbed.
Hey man, I know I’m a little late to the party, but I wanna say that I think you’ve become one of my favorite game review channels. The way you talk about the true game design, and how the design in of itself can be art, really makes me happy. I’ve always believed games can do more than just have cinematic stories, and actually do something only a video game can pull off (Nier automata comes to mind). I’m glad you barely if ever talk about “culture war” bullshit because it barely matters. This is just pure unfettered discussion of games and their design aspects. It’s so refreshing to see, and I hope you take off!
Mark, I think the best way to play the game is going to be Arcade mode, not Time attack. Here's why: #1 - You score points for kills. #2 - You score points for time remaining at stage end. #3 - You score points for items remaining in your inventory at stage end. #4. - The leaderboard records for a full run. So in arcade mode you will need to maximize kills, route through all stages quickly, and also play pure (No item usage). At game start you will want to select the 7 most valuable items to carry and not use or swap any of them out during play. The only drawback of course is that you will first want to unlock all 50+ in-game items as some will be worth more bonus points than others.
What a fantastic looking game. The art in so many indie games today is either pretentious or ironic. This looks beautiful and very earnest.
Oh yes this is the genuine stuff! This isn't throw back retro, it s the actual guys making pixel art over the years
@@TheElectricUndergroundyeah, after watching your review I've been reading into them. ININ has a good mini documentary with the team on their channel. Ton of respect to the three kings
I personally don't dig the cartoony look.
@@robbyrobot3303 Wow it's a cool documentary. Thanks for mentioning it.
@@glasssoup7549 you're welcome. Old guard Japanese devs are too humble to advertise themselves so we gotta spread the word on their behalf. The ININ head seems like a pretty diehard fan too. He seems more motivated by passion than pure business sense, seeking out very obscure titles like Osman Cannon Dancer to publish
Every game this team touches is a masterpiece.
What are you smoking people, this game is nothing but a castlevania/metroid/megaman ripoff. I don't see how it can be so special.
@@elbarhoumianas6408 have you played it
This is, by far, the most comprehensive review of a game I have watched in a WHILE.
I just had to sub! Cheers
Everyone take a moment to appreciate how Keade is thicc AF.
Dead Or Alive, eat your heart out
The depth of your reviews is refreshing as always. This is the kind of critique we need. I just know that any mainstream outlet that covers this game will paint in super broad strokes, saying things like “punishingly hard old school design” and inserting a bunch of appeals to the past that dismiss or patronize the real depth, intentionality, and innovation a title like this brings.
Natsume has been killing it lately! Great video Mark!
Thanks very much my dude! Yes I think this is their best game to date
Mark should have a job working as a game depth consultant. This really needs to be a thing. Mark sells me on a game yet again.
Seriously he should
This game coming out close to Wukong is hilarious, as the big new title that everyone's going crazy over is just another AAA-like underwheling action game with the same old trends, meanwhile this small game is what a true action game looks like.
I knew this qas gonna be great when I saw Iconoclaust playing it.
Yeah it's funny how this game is easy in game of year contention for my channel, but it wouldn't be taken seriously on a larger channel but Wukong will certainly just based on the size and budget
Iconoclast is a BOSS. His playthru convinced me the newest Contra looks fun
If there is a heaven, whoever decided to make Kaede that thicc has already earned a well deserved spot in it.
Can’t wall jump if you skip leg day
Now this is a master class on Gaming Design, the old school devs are showing us how it's done. I hope Shatterhand gets the same treatment, one could dream.
These Natsume games have all been fantastic, but this one is my favorite. It's just UNREAL. While we've had plenty of great action platformers in the last couple decades, the only modern one that I personally think truly measured up to the 16-bit era classics was GnG Resurrection....until Shadow of the Ninja came out. I'm still too early in the honeymoon period to say for certain, but my first impression after a few runs is that this could stand shoulder to shoulder with the GnG, Rondo, Alien Soldier, etc. I think it's just that good
I agree completely, this is my fav work of theirs as well and stands among the greats in the genre :-)
They are all super challenging but manage to be fair
Ghost N Goblins graphics stop me from giving a shot tho. It just looks to flash gamey to me. But October is coming up and, might need something to play for that month.
@@superpowerman4354i agree that the graphics are a little hokey - but it is a legit good game. If the graphics turn you off, check out Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins (PSP) if you have an emulator. It’s another modern re-imagining of GnG but the graphics were more standard 3D- different from Resurrection, but sharing many of its design elements
It’s crazy to me that Tengho Project still has this magic despite how long they’ve been in this industry. Seeing other companies I love like Capcom, Konami and even SNK in some regards stagnate and sterilize as time has passed really set in my head the notion that game design both mechanically and visually would just be stuck the way it is now and that veterans to not get left behind also shifted with the times. But then Tengho Project has come out with all of their remakes with not just great new pixel art but legitimately great new character designs that stand toe to toe with the old ones which I think most companies could not hope to accomplish near consistently. Maybe it’s cause they’re so small and don’t have too many cooks in the kitchen but damn I hope they keep it up until they can’t anymore.
This looks epic. About time some of the old masters show how it`s done!
Just bought The Ninja Saviors last week too ^^
ININ has a 13 minute mini documentary on their channel talking to the team on this.
I like the THICC design of the main character!
Nice parallel with Super Castelvania 4! I should give it a go!
LOL I just booted this game. I love how this review focuses on the gameplay mechanics and how tight and well thought out they are.
Which is all 100% true, but I wasn’t prepared for how TIGHT🔥 the level design was. Holy crap, the level of routing required here is so satisfying and it does remind me of hard shmups.
DAMN. I’m shocked this game even exists. 🙀
Natsume/Tengo Project just never miss! I absolutely LOVED Pocky & Rocky re-shrined and all the other remakes. This one has been on my radar since they announced it. Good to see they're still in great form! Cheers for the insightful review, as always.
I have to preface this comment with the obligatory, I love the game.
That said, the inventory system is a love and hate relationship to me. On the one hand, I agree that having that deliberate risk reward system in place for when you consume health items is fantastic and I love it... Now for the hate part... The weapon system... The weapon pick ups are unnecessary and actively bad, in my opinion. The limited charge weapons often deal less damage than your standard attacks, especially when you're fully powered up, making them a horrible choice in almost every situation.
This is compounded by the fact that you can't drop the weapon pick ups, so inventory management becomes a glaring flaw, especially on subsequent runs. You want to stack health items, that's great! You better remember where all those health items are and not pick up anything else, or waste valuable time trying to expend those weapon charges to get rid of that pointless item in your inventory. If your inventory is full, and you pick up a weapon? Good luck! The inventory management is non-existent when it comes to which item will drop. The number of times I had to reset because I accidentally picked up a weapon and it popped the back of the array store to drop a valuable health item only to make me lose time is an annoyance at best, and actively infuriating at worst.
This is easily alleviated by remembering where the health pick ups are and just not bothering to pick up weapons, but them simply existing is a stain on my personal enjoyment of the item system. In my opinion, weapon pick ups should either be buffed to the point where using them makes taking the risk a worthwhile consideration, or just doing away with them altogether and just keep the standard health pick ups.
My 2 cents on an otherwise great review. I just thought I'd share my own personal thoughts on it.
Teasing us with killer7 footage and a F-Zero GX song at the very end. When are THOSE Gamecube masterpieces going to be subject to a video???
Natsume is so underrated.
Nobody ever brings up that like Treasure they are all ex-Konami devs.
They really aren't. They never made a truly great game.
Especially the handful of people making up Tengo Project. Like damn, have you played Kiki Kaikai/Pocky & Rocky Reshrined? Buy it!
Every single Natsume remake is a masterpiece of game design and art. Get it now before the collector market makes it unreachable.
Bro, your reviews are well written, well structured, and well edited! Keep on forever
Rocket Knight Adventures had the same sword/projectile implementation. It was exciting to stand right up against the boss, hitting him with the sword and doing extra damage as the game slowed down with projectiles landing all over the place. I don't think I've seen it anywhere else. Even the sequel dropped the short range projectile in favor of a slower sword slash with a longer lasting hit box.
There are a few fighting game projectiles that have a hit box on the gun or sword or. Fist etc that deals extra damage if u point blank it
Bro get out of my head!! I was literally wondering what you might think of this game and all of Natsumes last couple releases!
Wild Guns Reloaded
The Ninja Saviors
Pocky and Rocky Reshrined
Ha great minds think alike! 🧠
I'm so blown away by how good this turned out to be. Just finished normal and had to peel myself away to watch. 100% agreed, full run time attack and checkpoint manipulation for practice would be great additions to this. If they don't do it, someone in the speedrun community will likely find a way to hack it in, so hopefully they just get it done and it doesn't have to come to that. This is a game worth spending deep time with.
The original game has multiple hits on the grappling attack too by the way. Not sure if you were aware or not. Much more refined here though for sure.
Mark, you need to keep these reviews coming man, as a gamer who loves difficulty I find it hard to find games and your recommendations would guarantee a great time for me. Thanks for all you do!
Wow this game looks great. Original japanese devs making classic style games rarely happens anymore.. I'm happy to see it. And the graphics look like real deal 2-d style.... most modern "retro" games try to adopt the 2d style but don't succeed because they use too many modern tools. Its a meticulous art form that can't be approximated.
I realy cannot comperhand how some reviwers gave low ratings saying the game was too hard or the jumpung were not precised or that it looks like a 30 yesrs old game when this game a true masterpice even compared to other current similar type of games
I know you are giving this a serious analysis from a design and gameplay stand point but LOOK AT IT! Its also god damn gorgeous. I kneel before the might of Tengo Project.
>trash talks CastlevaniaIV
>shows clip that proves him wrong
At least your visuals are honest. Nice video
Are you considering talking about haunted castle and the brand new revisited version made by M2?
Tengo Project just does not miss. Even the one game of theirs I didn't personally click with - Ninja Saviors - I would absolutely consider a masterpiece. Meaningful and considered game mechanics! A demanding, fair and well-balanced level of challenge! Goddamn, you love to see it.
I loved the demo of this and plan to get it next Friday when I get paid. I love this developer. I put so many hours into their games on Switch. The Pocky & rocky, wild guns, and that ninja one I forgot the name of. They look gorgeous, and play fantastic
What a great review. I’m usually a “wait till it’s on sale” guy, but I just ordered a physical copy after watching this. The developers deserve some launch love.
Was not expecting a George Michael history lesson. Always surprises from this channel. This is an insta buy for me!
I happen to love pause because while playing a game things may interrupt. I can pause a movie for the same reason. I like what you said about active menus though. I want gameplay to be affected by in game strategy. Pausing should just be pausing! But i do love original RE4's menu organization. It is very satisfying. That is a pause menu done right.
i swear, this is like one of the few remakes i've seen recently that isn't weirdly ashamed of what the original game was, i'm so happy these natsume remakes get to exist.
It was an interesting experience trying to get this game physical from Gamestop. Pre-ordered it never came in, called literally 9 or 10 other GameStops. No one had a copy. Then, finally yesterday my copy showed up. Couldn't be happier. I don't buy AAA games or many other games for that matter, but was really looking forward to this one since it announced. I bought the previous 3 Tengo Remakes and loved em. Can't wait to dig into this this weekend.
Natsume has absolutely been killing it with their remastered games. Wild Guns Re-armed, Ninja Saviors Return of the Warriors, Pocky and Rocky Re-shrined, and now Shadow of the Ninja reborn. Adding onto an already solid framework of gameplay with even more than what they could have with original limitations.
Easily one of my favorite Developers
Thanks for this review. I had no idea this game existed. My friend and I used to play the NES original together, so I'm picking this up for sure.
Damn. If Tengo Project are getting this comfortable riffing on the originals, I really want to see what they can do with Shatterhand and Dragon Fighter. Dragon Fighter's ability for the player to turn a platformer into a shmup on command has so much untapped design space. It'd be incredibly hard to pull off well. But with attention to detail and good level design, I think it has the potential to be a masterpiece.
Cygni still catching strays in other games' reviews... damn! 😂
What do you mean by "catching strays?"
@@LittleBigKid707b Basically, they're receiving negativity even when they aren't the main topic- they're a 'bystander', but are still 'getting shot'
@AtelierMcMuttonArt oh nice. Never heard that term before. Thanks for the explanation
Great video! Your deep analysis of game design is what keeps me coming back to your channel. I agree with your thoughts on remakes/remasters. Too often they are just swallow more aesthetic updates of the game, especially in regards to updating games from the 8-bit era. I was interested in this game when I first saw it announced. ININ is a great publisher bringing us gems like these the big guys don't want to take a risk on. I didn't realize this was developed by the original devs, making this a really unique piece of game art. Thanks for your hard work shining a light on games like Shadow of the Ninja.
The visuals and the music in this game are fantastic. On top of that this game feels really nice to play
Absolutely love that it looks like a true 16-bit game that could've come out during the late SNES lifecycle. Hopefully it comes out Physically.
I watched the video quickly, but I got the feeling that you brought out what many people don't see because they lack patience. The game's mechanics are very fine and subtle, designed to fit into a complex level design that requires a thorough analysis of the structure of the levels, the timings and the enemies to be killed (or dodged). In short, optimising every action to understand the full richness and depth of the game. And it's almost certain that in the coming months we'll start to see runs that will bring out all the qualities of the game system (character control + weaponry). In my opinion, if you learn to speedrun (at best) the 1st stage, you'll soon realise that everything is built around a certain logic. I don't watch your videos much, but thanks for this one, because when I see the reviews of some youtubers (in France), the level of analysis is very low (with a few exceptions) and their vision of the game is completely off the mark.
Nice review! Now that an action platformer has become your game of the year, please review more of them!
Also, seems like it didn't need a hitstun to become the game of the year, it just needed push-back.
So this is what it looks like when the developers actually understand their games.
Lately I've started to feel like platformers need to have a good combat system either influenced by run-n-guns or beat-em-ups. I feel like most platformer bosses suck because all you can really do is run or jump in different ways. Most of them try to compensate for this by adding wait times (bad), introducing some kind of gimmick (bad) or both (really bad).
I guess there's also the option of not having bosses in your game period, but a part of me feels like that's a super lame compromise. At the VERY least, the level itself should feel like an enemy and actively try to fight against the player with dynamic moving elements. Also just giving character movement itself risk/reward.
I'm sick of so many platformers AAA and indie alike with lame bosses, static level design and "buttery smooth" controls with zero input delay on anything.
I really hope less developers integrate double jump in platformers. I get that in a metroidvaina or a platform-fighter, but in pure platformers, the commitment is part of the challenge. And challenge is fun.
Especially for 3d platformers
Actually, challenge isn't necessarily fun.
You need to get your toes into game development because you always have good takes on making good games. You should really try it. Especially when your thumbnail editor, Boghog, made a shmup himself. Maybe start with a shmup?
Yeah I m going to here soon but it s gonna be on a small scale and won't be too glamorous at first ha. Also thank you for the kind comment!
@@TheElectricUnderground For such a student of arcade game design, you totally need to get into game design to show exactly why you know your stuff, even if it is a small scale game, it should go absolutely hard.
@@TheElectricUnderground Good luck. Starting small is wise, and I'm excited to see how experience making games will refine your views. I'd volunteer to help you program them, but I'm already busy enough with my own gamedev projects...
One kind of platformer I've seen lacking from the options, is what if Simon's whip actually pushed you back alongside the moving enemy while it's delay is still active?
Say, a bat flying at you takes two hits, but if you do hit it the first time you'll be pushed back for the duration of the hit. This gives you one more free hit at equal distance to the bat, but you've lost your footing in the environment. Replace that with knockback. So to avoid knockback you actualll have to tank the hit by hugging the enemy, and lose the collectibles or EXP.
Wouldn't this be interesting to code as well? The mechanics of how a whip strike locks you with the enemy, or the options to extend your whip and therefore the strike delay. Absolutely free idea to use, I'll go to GameStop tomorrow and ask if they have this game in stock (and the answer is always no).
As a joke the whip could just be a plank of wood, to mock how Super Castlevania ruined the franchise. Instead of grappling you could use the plank as a see-saw, and have Kurumin kinds of challenges.
It’s always good when there’s a new Tengo Project game to play.
Really interested to see what they do next. I think we’re hitting a point now where the old games are licensed things they can’t just do straight remakes of, and things the Tengo Project members weren’t leads on, or didn’t work on at all. They’ve had a pretty good pace going since The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, it’ll be interesting to see if the next game is also a remake, or if it’s something new.
The original Resident evil remake is a prime example of artists reinterpreting their older work. It's the greatest remake ever made for a reason.
Great vid as always, BUT please disclose if you got a review copy as early as possible in future vids
What an amazing surprise! Nobody talked about this game when I got it for NES. I found it too easy after playing games like Ninja Gaiden but SoTN was a super solid game and it had the co-op play. My god, never in a million years would I expect a remake. Looks awesome.
Great to see. Was going to pick this one up anyway. Good shit.
Good point about real time item use. Ninja Gaiden and NGB for the OG Xbox has this issue. One big flaw of those games was having to constantly go into the menus to either weapon switch or heal. They also had a punishment mechanic where if you tried to go into the pause menu when you were either airborne or in the middle of taking damage you couldnt heal in the menu, something along those lines. It felt very clunky to constantly interrupt the game to heal, especially when learning the game initially. Sigma titles later fixed this by putting most of those commands on the D-pad and being able to do alot of that shit in real time, even weapon switch. I think that should always be the case. Its always looks shitty in gameplay videos and also kills the pacing of an action game to have to use menus for basic shit mid game. Its good to see theres alot of depth in the combat. Target Earth had a similiar mechanic with how you recharged your health. You had to find safe spots to regen your health, so there was a tactical mechanic to healing. Im going to check this out today. Picked it up on steam and downloaded it on the switch emulator. Even though I can play alot of these indies for free through a Switch emulator, I try to purchase the ones that really stand out to support the companies. This one looks like that type of game. It also works out as its 2 KILLS for the KILL LIST. Maybe Ill make a tutorial on my second playthrough of the Switch version or Hard mode if its worthwhile.
I think the "Wild Arms Reloaded" in the description should be "Wild Guns Reloaded." Keep up the awesome reviews!
Wild Guns Alter Code F
Second! A nice Thursday night surprise premiere. Thanks Mark for the awesome videos as always.
Awesome review, but I think you may be "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" with your war on 'pause'. I'd argue all games need a pause but for arcade genres they could just limit what you can do while using it. E.g., you can pause a game but all actions and selections must be done in real time.
Yeah, a pause menu that just blocks your view of the screen would work, so you can deal with a crying baby or a pet that needs something while not losing out of the tension, and it's hardly unprecedented. Pausing is a must for any retro game, considering that its audience is generally now old enough to have families.
Also, IIRC, NES games would usually pause by just freezing the screen, maybe having the word "PAUSE" show up, so it's not like letting the player see the game screen is un-"retro" historically.
This is the best review on the net.. hands down
Fingers crossed for a Shatterhand remake next.
Have to say, I really enjoyed the in-depth analysis of various mechanics, like spending 3 minutes on your basic attack. This type of thoughtful content is getting pretty rare these days online, it feels like.
Also good point on having the core mechanics be fun in and of themselves. I think Sekiro did this well, with the deflection / swordplay carrying you all the way through if you want. And for another example, Bionic Commando Rearmed, and even the 3D version, had rock solid movement mechanics with the bionic arm - learning to swing around the levels at breakneck speeds is already great and quite unique.
This was another instant buy from the perfect line of updated Natsume classics! Good on you for giving a REAL review of it.
Shoot, Mark, you’ve just cost me a few bucks again. Thanks for the excellent detail, as usual.
Look, my rules are really simple. This guy recommends a game, I buy it, I play it, I love it. Never failed me yet.
The sword slash projectile reminds me a lot of Rocket Knight Adventures. No bad thing.
What a great review, seriously thanks. I've watched at least three other reviews on this game as I was concerned this was going to be a weak shadow of its former self and, my goodness, are most video game reviews completely worthless outside of showing some footage/screenshots of the game and pointing out obvious game breaking bugs.
Also, I've really got to dig through my backlog and fish out the Wild Guns and Pock and Rocky remakes if they are this good.
I remember blue shadow on the nes. my grans workmate used to lend her nes games for me to play every few weeks. this was one of them, I was still in primary school when I played it.
It wasn't until recently a year or so ago I found out when setting this game up on retroarch that blue shadow (the UK name) was actually called shadow of the Ninja in the US and Japan.
and now I find out about this new reborn game from you 😊
Thankyou Electric Underground 👍
Great review.
Glad to see Tengo Project finally getting some respect from someone.
I would it if you reviewed their other recent-ish games as well: Rocky and Pocky Reshrined, Ninja Savours Return of the Ninja Warriors, and Wild Guns Reloaded.
Just Pre-ordered the game from strictly limited games. Thank you, you're my go to channel for indepth game mechanics analysis
I agree to you The Electric Underground, Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn is still a greatest 2D action games ever made due to very interesting innovative gameplay design and very good graphics. 😁👍
Damn this game is beautiful, animations are so damn smooth
Playing their Ninja Warriors Return remake made me glad the original developers worked on it. If it was anyone else, they would've turned into a 2d Devil May Cry combofest instead of about crowd control.
just beat this, the controls quite stiff-feeling, doubly so with Kaede's nerfed jump. Can't wait to go back and practice but it's hard to get used to, especially the inventory system. It'd feel a lot better if it was a snappy super-metroid type weapon swap.
I played the demo multiple times. Down and jump let's do you a spin to jump further. And if you need a few more pixels horizontally, down stab with your sword.
You can also down stab enemies in air to bounce off them.
I played through this game three times back to back today, twice on normal, once on hard. Absolutely love it
I’m buying this game now and I hope a lot of other people do too. The original was one of my favorite NES games and one of the best co-op games. I loved the demo and I hope we get more games like it.
If there were more people like you maybe this 9th Gen of consoles would make a lot more sense.
Lord This game looks sick asl. 16 min in and I subbed. First good game video I’ve seen in awhile keep it up bruh 🤙🏼
Love the critique, but I think your opinions on pausing in games is blinded by your point of view. I view pausing as more of an accessibility feature for people that have other things to do. Not to be mean, but sometimes life just gets in the way, and I think people should be able to pause for these moments. Either way, it's up to the player if they want to pause, and it's not something designed to make the game easier for chuds.
I like how you bias your critiques favorably towards designs that require the player to learn and get better at the game. It's nice to see games that reward players for meeting their demands be celebrated, studied and preserved, and I think your channel does an ok job of doing this. I wonder, do you have any interest in design and development, yourself?
I'm pretty sure he was being facetious, or referring to lulls in gameplay. Pausing is there so I can go pee and poo.
Learned a lot about game design, as always on your channel..
From the way you're describing how the mechanics are designed, it sounds like these guys have some experience in developing fighting games
Hello. This game looks great! Gonna pick it up with Pocky & Rocky Reshrined at some point.
Any plans on reviewing the new Haunted Castle remake?
Thanks for the recommendation, picked this one up and loving it. The thick lady already got my eyes on it, but the arcade perfect action sold me.
Ryu Hayabusa's been slacking... other ninja games are stealing his thunder now
The NES game was and is GOATED
When it comes to items in action games, I like both interacting with items in the pause menu and scrolling through them to use during gameplay like in Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Having the choice is my favorite!
Very awesome stuff, and congratulations on going full-time, Mark! You definitely deserve it.
Lord knows that Tengo Project has been doing our favorites justice. We just took a casual look at Pocky and Rocky Reshrined, and Ninja Saviors is up next!
Mirage Feathers, Card en Ciel, Iron Meat and this game looks very interesting. Half a year of 2024 have been kinda boring for smaller games but I hope it does revitalize my enjoyment.
Also, do you mind checking "The Super Pie Throwing"? Its a pretty interesting scoring game and its also free.
While the NES original back in the day was facing comparison to Ninja Gaiden to the point its planned Game Boy port was instead developed into an official Ninja Gaiden entry published by Tecmo, it feels like this remake leans much harder into the DNA it shares with Capcom's Strider.
Never even heard of this but you got me playing the original version currently. Definitely getting this one when it comes. Their wild guns reloaded was great
I had this game preordered, but it's always nice to hear you swoon over a game that I'm already excited for
why is this channel so fucking awesome?
Providing insights into game design especially in the context of retro and new games, maybe slim shady’s greatest contribution to our hobby. And that’s saying a lot given the class leading shmup content provided over several years now.
Tengo Project has been killing it! I played the demo a week ago, and immediately ordered it. Great review.