Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Our analysis

SwitchUp review scored 87%. Highly recommended.

Our analysis

Recommends Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound as a fun, mechanically solid throwback with deliberate platforming and a satisfying length. Most talismans and secret arts feel uninteresting or unnecessary.

Our analysis

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.

Our analysis

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

Our analysis

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.