Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

SwitchUp review scored 87%. Highly recommended.

A solid 16-bit styled throwback that diverges from classic Ninja Gaiden by leaning into intentional platforming and permanent upgrades rather than random power-ups. While mechanically sound and fun, it doesn't reach the legendary status of the series' best entries and suffers from uninteresting talisman options.

A thrilling, deliberately old-school revival that captures the essence of the classic series with sharp, responsive action, retro SNES-style visuals and music, and fair-but-challenging level design. Smart additions like the hypercharge, guillotine boost, and dual-protagonist play with Kenji and Kumori enrich the combat, while generous checkpoints and replay incentives round it out. The back half drags with repetitive stages, occasional hazard-versus-scenery confusion, and a short overall length, but these blemishes don't detract from a strong experience.

Exceptional combat, platforming, boss fights. 'It just feels right' — plans to play long-term.

An excellent 2D action platformer that perfectly balances combat and platforming with beautifully designed levels and engaging boss fights. The scoring system and hard mode add replay value, though minor issues like 30fps on Switch and lack of Polish localization prevent a higher score.