The Future Of Ninja Gaiden Is Going Down Two Very Different Paths

Two very different Ninja Gaiden titles are in development. Despite this duality, they celebrate important eras in the franchise’s history. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a side-scrolling platformer that captures the action of a '90s Nintendo Entertainment System craze. Ninja Gaiden 4, on the other hand, is the next chapter in an ultra violent action game that helped establish Microsoft’s Xbox consoles as a serious contender. It is a smart move of Koei Tecmo to cater to both sets of fans that are after conflicting styles.

After such a long hiatus, it truly seems like this is the full return to glory for Ryu Hayabusa — or at least to the glory of his new secondary protagonists. Ninja Gaiden 3 was originally released in 2012, and while there have been updates and spin-offs, many fans were worried that the series was dead. This was even more plausible when Ninja Gaiden had no representation in Super Bros Ultimate, despite being a NES staple franchise. With two new games on the horizon, however, it seems that Team Ninja is ready to revitalize the brand.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Captures The Precision Of The NES Originals

The Game Kitchen Is Making Sure Verticality Plays A Role

The trailer footage for Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound has been brief so far, but it is clear that it is following in the footsteps of the three NES games. It even includes an intro mirroring the climactic dual between Jo Hayabusa and Bloody Malth from NG1. Gameplay involves constantly moving upwards, either to traverse the level or dodge various enemy attacks.

The new protagonist, Kenji Mozu, does seem a bit faster and melee-focused compared to his sensei, Ryu. The latter could fight up close but also relied on shurikens and ninjitsu magic like fire wheels and shadow clones. It could be that Kenji can use some of these moves, but in a different way than the classic NG system of collecting Ninpo dropped by foes. As more gameplay is released, this could be a game NES players gravitate to.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Is The Next Evolution That Began On Xbox

Brutalizing Groups Of Foes Is The Focus

Ninja Gaiden 4 takes a very different approach than the 2D NG:R. This is clearly the true follow-up to the Xbox-first franchise, as gameplay features combos strings and a mix of weapons that dismember and mutilate foes. Once the series left Nintendo, it became one of the most gory action games of the early 2000s. It is possible to experience this firsthand by trying the remaster of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.

The Xbox revival was somewhat accidental. Originally, Hayabusa was just meant to be a cameo character in the first Dead or Alive. But, as that fighting game has become one of Microsoft and Tecmo’s cash cows, it made perfect sense to also bring Ninja Gaiden to Xbox systems for a more mature audience than those that once owned Nintendo games.

It is interesting to see that both Ninja Gaidentitles are putting new protagonists center stage. In Ninja Gaiden 4, the first character showcased was rival ninja Yakumo of the Raven Clan, who seems to be very technologically advanced. Hayabusa is still playable, and faces off with this new character in a duel. With the gap between both titles, it would also be interesting if an older Kenji winds up having a run-in with Yakumo as well.