Ninja Gaiden Ragebound finally gives this franchise its Super Castlevania 4 moment

When video games went from 8-bit to 16-bit, many iconic series made that jump. Super Castlevania 4 is considered one of the best games in that series, impressively reimagining how the pixelated platforming of its NES predecessors could become a visual stunner with double the detail. Koei Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden series never got that 16-bit chance. After innovating video game storytelling and difficult platforming gameplay on the NES, the series didn’t make its grand return until the 3D reboot for the original Xbox.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, a new game from The Game Kitchen and Dotemu, finally gives us that gratification. It’s a modern take on the Ninja Gaiden 2D action platformer formula, with a beautiful visual style that harkens back to the 16-bit era. It’s the kind of game that’s not afraid to offer players a challenge, but always provides them with the tools to succeed through smart level design and accessible options. While it’s not an instant classic, Ragebound delivers, feeling like the amazing lost chapter of an iconic gaming franchise.

Price and availability

The digital version of Ragebound will cost $25 at release, a price on par with equivalent games of its kind. It’ll be available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam from July 31. A $40 physical version of the game will be released at retail for PS5 and Nintendo Switch on September 12.

Ninja Gaiden’s story fits right in with the NES games

Even if it doesn’t have much staying power

I knew Ragebound was going to be great right from the opening level, as I got to play as Ryu’s father during the fateful fight that kicked this entire series off. It shows a love and care for the series’ history and lore, which carries through the rest of the plot. This game takes place at the same time as the events of the first Ninja Gaiden, but in a way that doesn’t contradict anything the series has done before.

The story follows Kenji, a brand-new character who Ryu Hayabusa was training in the time between the 3D and 2D series of games. After Ryu sets out on his own quest, demon fiends attack Japan, and Kenji has to fight to keep the gates of hell closed, killing any fiends or human threats that get in his way. He eventually forms a reluctant partnership with Kumori, a Black Spider Clan ninja whose soul gets bonded to him through a magical dagger.

Their simple quest unfolds over the next eight or so hours, and by the end, I came to care for both Kenji and Kumori. I was ultimately underwhelmed by its story, though. It’s not nearly as innovative in narrative storytelling as the original Ninja Gaiden, and thematically, it doesn’t feel like Ragebound actually has that much to say.

It’s fun to see the world of Ninja Gaiden through the eyes of new protagonists, though, and all the art in the game and the cutscenes are absolutely fantastic. There’s some genuinely impressive animation and detailed art direction on display here, in addition to an amazing soundtrack I can’t wait to stream. However, while the cinematic presentation of the original Ninja Gaiden ultimately had a lasting impact, Ragebound’s legacy is more likely to be tied to its look and feel rather than its narrative.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound rewards skill and precision

Believe it or not, aura farming is quite important

Ragebound is a 2D platformer with linear, sidescrolling levels like its NES predecessors. The goal is always to reach the end of the stage and fight a boss, but Kenji and Kumori have to hack and slash through a lot of enemies to get there. Ragebound’s platforming feels silky smooth, and moving between running, jumping, wall-climbing, and latching onto ceilings is seamless.

Abilities like the dodge roll and guillotine boost that let me bounce off enemies ensured I never have to break the flow of movement, but some bulky enemies won’t go down in a single strike. If I didn’t want to waste time wailing on them, I needed to use a Hypercharge attack to kill them. It is possible to gain the aura required to perform a Hypercharge by standing and sacrificing some of Kenji’s health, but oftentimes it’s much faster to kill an enemy that glows blue to gain that aura and perform the attack.

Mastering the balance of obtaining aura and using Hypercharge is where the real skill of playing Ragebound comes in. Kumori adds another wrinkle to all of this with a projectile attack that can activate Hypercharge by killing enemies with a pink-colored aura. There are even dedicated, timed sections where I’d have control over Kumori, tasked with completing certain platforming and combat challenges using her projectiles alone.

All of these systems work in tandem to create an action platformer with an immensely exhilarating game feel. Every guillotine boost, hypercharge attack, and tight platforming jump felt entirely within my control to utilize and master to obtain the highest score. I do not doubt that Ragebound will be an incredibly fun platformer for speedrunners, especially because it can offer quite a challenge.

Playing Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a pleasant experience

It’s both challenging and accessible

Most of the games in the Ninja Gaiden series are infamous for how tough they are. While the difficulty in the 3D Ninja Gaiden games comes from smart, challenging design, the 2D platformers went out of their way to frustrate players and extend playtime with some brutal enemy placements and attack patterns. Since Ragebound doesn’t have to worry about people renting the game and beating it in an evening, though, it’s set at a much fairer difficulty.

I was almost always more powerful than most of the enemies, and I had the tools to defeat them. Getting through levels is more like solving a puzzle, piecing together the right series of moves and attacks required to get from one end of a room to the other unscathed. Ragebound features some fantastic and dynamic level design, too, with this game featuring my favorite train level since Uncharted 2.

The toughest parts of the game were the boss fights, which are real tests of pattern recognition and hand-eye coordination on par with a Soulslike game. I’d have to learn how to dodge their lengthy attack cycles and strike when the moment was right. However, the lack of variation in these boss fights was the most disappointing part of the game. They didn’t offer any new challenges, and even repeated multiple times. Going through a level was often more fun than the boss fight at the end of it.

If players do ever hit a true roadblock while playing Ragebound, the game offers some helpful accessibility options that can reduce damage taken or the timing for specific attack windows. While purists might think this comprises the game’s difficulty, I appreciate their inclusion as it ensures anyone can enjoy Ragebound. This game is so much fun, I’d rather it had options to keep people sticking around rather than pushing them away. That’s a win-win for everyone.

Should you buy Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound?

Whether you tend to play games that tap into retro nostalgia or just love very fluid-feeling action games, you’ll enjoy Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. It distills the best parts of the classic NES Ninja Gaiden games into what feels like the SNES experience the series never got. Of course, being a modern game, Ragebound can then do a lot more than games could 30 years ago, whether that be with fluid animation, dynamically evolving levels, or assist options to help players out. It joins Donkey Kong Bananza as one of 2025’s best games.

While the Ninja Gaiden series has a storied legacy to uphold, Ragebound does not miss a beat in carrying the torch forward. Its creative level design and ninja power-fantasy gameplay reminded me why this series became beloved in the first place. Even if a boss fight is occasionally repeated and I didn’t care about the story, that all still holds true. With the 3D Ninja Gaiden 4 on the horizon as well, we seem to be entering a renaissance for this series.