The original Shadow of the Ninja (Dark Operative Kage in Japan) is a cult classic NES game from Natsume. Released in 1990, it featured 2-player local co-op – a rarity for 8-bit platformers. Over 30 years later, Natsume Atari’s Tengo Project team and ININ Games have unleashed a full remake onto modern consoles and Steam called Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn. A full remake in every sense of the word, Reborn features astounding pixel art, a new item unlocking system, and the return of 2-player local co-op support. Unfortunately, a punishing level of difficulty limits the appeal of the new game.
Verdict
The Co-Op Experience: Play together locally as the legendary ninjas Hayate and Kaede.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.