Ninja Gaiden Ragebound
The NES Ninja Gaiden games–the first two, at least–were exhilarating landmarks of early 2D action, fusing cinematic storytelling, blistering music, and fast, twitchy, intensely challenging gameplay into unforgettable ninja odysseys. Now Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, from Blasphemous devs The Game Kitchen, is here to carry on that legacy, and while I’m not sure it reaches quite the same heights, it’s a gripping and gorgeous new 2D sidescroller in its own right. Particularly stunning is the game’s pixel art, bursting with handcrafted details–cats lie curled up in rafters, birds feed their young in treetop nests–that remind you the world is teeming with life, big and small, all of it hanging in the balance as you cut your bloody path through commandos and demons to thwart a dark lord’s plot. – Carolyn Petit
