The ’80s were not only dominated by ninja movies, but also ninja-themed gaming experiences. Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden were two of the biggest – with the former being both a big arcade hit before getting revamped on the Genesis, while the latter was technically an arcade hit first before being redone on the NES. In the case of Ninja Gaiden, it’s really the NES trilogy that people think about when they talk about the series and that influence carried on into the more modern incarnations of the series that kept the NES version’s blend of precise action and platforming alive.
In the decades since, we’ve seen some attempts at modernizing classic formulas – like Mark of the Ninja being a stealth-heavy game or Shadow of the Ninja being remade from the NES onto modern hardware with redone graphics. Shadow Blade offered up a bite-sized stage incarnation of the classic Ninja Gaiden style with revamped graphics, but Ninja 1987 aims to bring back the NES look and feel across the board. SEEP self-published the game on PC this past year, while Ratalaika is set to publish the console release on Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles and the Switch as well on December 13.
Dice ‘n Dash
It’s remarkable how well the game truly feels like something out of the past, but in the best ways and without some of the problems that plagued the 8-bit era. The gameplay has a smoothness to it that’s far better than a lot of the classics when it comes to things like controlling jumps. Aiming your limited projectile attack is also a breeze to do since you have so much control to get it right in mid-air. With so many games, that kind of attack can either do too little damage or be too small to hit reliably, but that isn’t the case here.
It’s remarkable how well the game truly feels like something out of the past, but in the best ways and without some of the problems that plagued the 8-bit era.
The obstacle course platforming is also a lot of fun and reminds me of Sunsoft’s Batman games in that they’re tough, but fair. Enemy placement is tricky, but every area can be beaten without taking hits if you’re careful. The game sells for $5 without a sale, but it’s $4 onSteamnow if you want to get it early and you get a SEEP bundle for not too much more if you’re feeling like more retro-themed fun.
