The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is not so much the third game in a series as the third attempt at the same game. The first go was in 1987 when Taito looked at its revolutionary Darius arcade cabinet – which used three monitors and two mirrors to fake a triple-wide screen – and decided it needed some ninjas. It created The Ninja Warriors, a side-scrolling beat-em-up with an '80s action-sci-fi vibe channelling The Terminator.
Round two came in 1994, when Natsume reinvented the game for the Super Famicom as The Ninja Warriors Again. And now, 25 years later, Natsume is back with this 3.0, in Japan titled The Ninja Warriors Once Again. Simply put, this is the best Ninja Warriors yet.
The story presents a crumbling dystopia in which an evil dictator has a grip on a “once great and opulent nation”. Fortunately, a rebel leader, Mulk, has unleashed some prototype robot ninjas to hunt him down. The scenario is lifted directly from the arcade original, giving The Ninja Saviors a retro '80s atmosphere that would otherwise be hard to pull off with any degree of sincerity. It’s set out in an intro that’s a shot-for-shot reproduction of Ninja Warriors on the SNES, but with artwork redrawn in beautiful detail. Suddenly, your chosen character smashes in from screen left, levelling a gang of soldiers: the game starts in style.
The gameplay is superficially similar to other beat-em-ups of the 16-bit era but soon shows its personality. The action, unlike Final Fight and Streets of Rage, happens on a single plane, so there’s no moving in and out of the scene, just left and right. This may sound like a limitation, but it opens the door for other distinguishing gameplay characteristics. For instance, the move-set and control scheme resemble a lightweight Street Fighter more than a simple brawler, based around blocking, special moves and busting out combos. It’s fairly detailed fighting for the genre, encouraging creativity and a very cool flow as you demolish your opponents. And those opponents come in droves. The single plane of play means everyone’s lined up for a smashing, with no way around your ninja. The grunts will fall in a single hit, but doing so may be a waste of a handy projectile, as they can be thrown at stronger enemies for some easy damage.
The graphics are gorgeous reworkings of the cheerily coloured 16-bit assets, from epic, deep, bombed-out beach-city backdrops to slick and graceful character animations with a hint of '80s camp-action fun. The sounds thump and grunt in all the right places and bring out the rhythm of the play. The music, meanwhile, trusts the brilliance of the previous games’ soundtracks and lets them do their thing on your Switch, while adding new tracks to the mix. Nothing like cracking skulls to Daddy Mulk, the 1987 synthesised shamisen anthem by Taito house band Zuntata.
Apart from bringing the classic up to date, Natsume Atari has created two extra playable characters, taking the total up to a robust five. These two are accessed after beating the game on normal and hard difficulties. The new guys fit in naturally around the profiles of the original SNES trio, but each also has a novelty element that makes them feel like a prize. They don’t exactly redefine the game, but that didn’t need doing, so they’re welcome.
A more revolutionary change is the addition of a two-player co-op mode. The one-plane playspace does its thing again here and lines everyone up in a row. The result is that both players are working the same crowds, rather than the more isolated fights that can happen in beat-em-ups that spread out on the z-axis. Two-player is a riot and ices the cake very nicely, but the one-player game is so strong that you won’t feel lonely with just the one ninja.
At this point, we should pick some nits. In 1994, this game was a bit easy. It still is. It’s very accessible, low-stress, smash-the-idiot-baddies fun, but it doesn’t challenge. Hard mode is better – and the final boss gets tricky – but it becomes apparent that if the game threw any more enemies at you or made them all tougher, it would soon get repetitive and dull the high-action, super-robot sheen. The difficulty is balanced right for this game; it just isn’t very hard.
The other little sigh that echoes from 1994 is a wish that there were more stages. There are only eight in total, and some are pretty short. A new stage – maybe an unlockable callback to the arcade game (with its superior ending!) – would have been brilliant. But being so good you want more is not the worst problem in a game.
In our review of Wild Guns Reloaded last year, we said Natsume Atari had set a new benchmark for Super Nintendo remakes. They’re working to the same standard here. This is the ultimate version of a game concept that has captivated since 1987: it’s nostalgia polished to gleaming.
Conclusion
You can never really go back – the game is still there, but the magic of that time mixes the memory up to something more intoxicating than it really was. Go back to the SNES Ninja Warriors now and it’s still fun, but it’s stuck in the square box of a 4:3 screen, the animation doesn’t stand out like it did and one-player-only looks weak alongside the other Final Fight tribute acts of the day. But when you see The Ninja Saviors, it’s somehow exactly what you remember: huge, lush backdrops, silky animation, and tight, mob-levelling ninja moves. It’s like being a kid again, and stands as yet another essential Switch release you really should own.
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Comments 65
I’m buying this but for 30 bucks dammit, September’s right around the corner too... ima b broke af
Cool I feel like some retro beat em up, I’m in!
Ninja Warriors remains one of the best brawlers on SNES and I am downloading it day one for Switch. After Ninja Warriors, most of the team went on to develop Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Fighting Edition and Gundam Wing: Endless Duel. Two of the best SNES fighters and along with Ninja Warriors, easily the best SNES games out there.
I knew I wanted this the moment I heard it was coming.
Glad to hear the game turned out so well. I've been keeping an eye on it since it was announced, as the SNES version is one of my favorite games on the platform. This new one looks excellent. I've heard there are some changes to the returning characters so I'm curious to try them out to see for myself.
The Pillars of Eternity ad covers the left side of the screen on this article as well.
"Round two came in 1994, when Natsume reinvented the game for the Super Famicom as The Ninja Warriors Again. And now, 15 years later, Natsume is back with this 3.0"
WHAT YEAR IS IT??
I can wait for the western release but this is definitely a game that I will look out for. I love the 16-bit graphics, so much more appealing than the 8-bit indie pixel art style that has become so common.
When it releases here its an insta buy for me!!
Well then, I know what I'm going to get
Radical! I preordered the physical edition and after reading this, I’m double glad I did. I loved what Natsume did with Wild Guns Reloaded so if this is similar, we’re in for another treat.
1994 was 25 years ago, not 15 🤪😉
Not sure if i want to be paying that for a mid 90s Snes remake. Maybe if it was bundled up with some other games like the Street Fighter capcom collection. But yeah I'll pass on this.
I wonder if they have any more Super NES releases in store (Pocky & Rocky?)
I neeeed this game. Especially the physical version.
Adding to my wishlist, looks really cool and fun to play. Haven't played the SNES version but why bother now?
Just recently got my physical copy off Play-Asia, definitely worth the price. Speaking of Play-Asia, seems like Final Fantasy VIII HD Remastered is also getting a physical release soon for Switch too as Play-Asia is also taking pre-order for that one as well.
Not super long, huh? How does it compare to Mutant ninja turtles on snes?
Can't wait for my physical CE to arrive! This game has EVERYTHING I want:
"Not the toughest challenge" huh?
Hopefully there's a difficulty switch in the game for when you beat the game to make it harder.
Oh, BTW, to you UK Nintendo Life Readers, Amazon.co.uk are getting copies in for a 30th of August release. https://amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07V3R5B6V/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
@Kwehst Fixed!
You know, I think I actually prefer the original sprite works in many instances in this game.
Got this classic on cart for the SNES:) looks like I’ll be getting this on switch as well.
I'm so glad this reviewed well. I'm just waiting for the U.S physical release. I already ordered the limited edition one from Strictly Limited Games but I wouldn't dare open that copy.
Game reviewers getting games weeks before their release is the way it used to be and the way it should be.
Nice review. Sounds like a fun game and now I want to play through it!
Glad they made it co-op like the arcade version. Probably a buy.
Is it really getting a hard copy in U.S.? Not LRG, I mean.
Getting this after work. It's one of my SNES favorites.
I watched a long play of this game. In the first two levels, the enemies literally just walk up to you and then stop. They don’t even attack. The first boss attacked at the beginning, and when his life at was at 5% he then threw an attack and died.
It looks so cool, but it really doesn’t look like a game you really interact with.
Got this day one and have been playing it ever since. Great to see this game reviewed and scored as ity deserves. Now we need Night Stalkers, elevator Action returns and Chase HQ/S.C.I reboots please Taito.
@Mr_Muscle The original game is very tough, this version has been re-balanced to makle it more playable. Due to the way in which the characters move and depending on which character you pick there is a strategic timing element to attacking that feels satisfying. Some of the levels are a little long though i will say that.
The original was recently released in the Arcade Archives seal, right? But I think it got bad reviews. Has anybody played it and could they confirm it or deny it?
@Kwehst guess my old brain doesn’t do maths anymore 🤦♂️
@Moroboshi876 The old arcade game is VERY different to the SNES game and hence to this one. Its gimmick was that it was in a Darius cab, so the screen was a 4:1 aspect ratio – 3 CRTs stitched end-to-end using angled mirrors. You could stab dogs and weird, half-naked giants, though… Wouldn’t stand up as a modern console game IMO.
Gameplay in this is dramatically more fluid and fun. The game is easier, too, which is a positive. Don’t be put off by the arcade game (but do play it if you ever see the original cabinet!)
@Arcade_Tokyo Well, I love old games, I don't care if they're dated... Unless a game is said to have aged really bad. And I thought this was one example of this.
If anything I would buy it for Switch.
@YANDMAN I see, but in both of the long plays I watched the enemies barely did anything until late-game, so why does timing attacks matter if the enemies just sit there?
Fun fact: it's already released digitally, but in a couple weeks it'll get a physical copy in European stores. What a weird timing. Usually it's either simultaneous or a LRG release long after everybody has bought the digital version.
@Mr_Muscle Because of how the charcaters movement works, or i should say two of the three characters. Look this is huge fanfare, if you were a fan of the original you'd of already bought it, if your're not don't.
@Moroboshi876 I got the physical asian release two weeks ago and i'd say it's going to be the best one as it has reversible cover art with one side being the original SFC box art.
@YANDMAN Interesting, but I can get the PAL release for 15, and Play Asia items end up being expensive due to shipping costs and there's always the fear of custom taxes :S
@Mr_Muscle I just took a look at some video. It looks to be similar to the SNES version in terms of stage progression. In the SNES game, the enemies in the first stage or two are slow to attack. I love the SNES version, and I never found the enemy behavior to be a problem. Like many beat-em-up games, the early stages start out easy to let you get into a rhythm and figure out the move sets. I had enough trouble in the early stages when I started out. Later on, the delay in enemy attacks is much shorter, especially as new enemy types are introduced with new attacks and abilities. Also, sometimes, you can be playing really well, then one mistake will lead to a rough spot where you may find yourself being knocked down multiple times in a row, even early on, which becomes a mild annoyance.
I'm a big fan of beat-em-up games, but I know they can be exploited because they're not designed with the precision of other game types. They're more about enemy management and crowd control. The longplays I've seen of this look to be played in a way that takes advantage of some exploits, for lack of a better term. What I mean is, I wouldn't consider playing the games(SNES or the new one) the way the new one was played in the longplay videos I saw. It didn't look fun played that way, but that's a personal preference. And it would take a while to get good enough to play that way as far as learning the move sets. Basically, I'm saying that the footage I saw likely makes it look easier than it actually is.
Ninja Warriors Again is one of my favorite SNES games. I never get tired of it. This new one looks excellent to me. I don't have the concerns you raised based on what I've seen, but I'm already familiar with the property, and our taste in games may be quite different. It doesn't appear to be significantly easier than the SNES version, but that's hard to tell without playing. As I said, I wouldn't play the game the way I saw it played. Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself. What may ruin a game for one person may not be an issue to another. I just think the videos I've seen show the game played in a way that's unusual(as speedrunning is also unusual, for example). If you're on the fence, perhaps you should wait for more reviews, or hope for a lower price in the future so that it's a better value even if it's too easy.
@Audiobrainiac
the physical version is a wide release right?
@joshxx I don’t know. Seeing as how the only affiliate link here is on Play-Asia, I doubt it.
Is this going to be another Physical and Japan only release ala Darius? Paying $50 just to play a few hours of Darius II and Gaiden on a media format that I hate was already a bit of a stretch....
@YANDMAN I highly doubt the devs ONLY want the small amount of people who played the originals to get the new one. That doesn't make sense, from a business perspective. If you asked them, I'm sure they will tell you they want old and NEW players to like their franchise.
I know it's a touchy subject when someone doesn't like, "my favorite thing," but it really is okay to just let bygones be bygones and move right alone! No harm done.
@sdelfin I mean, it's cool that you say that, but the review calls this a MASTER CLASS in SNES revival. If that were the case, why not have the AI actually attack you from the start, like other beat 'em ups? I can actually die in the first stage of TMNT 4, or Final Fight. It doesn't look like I can actually die in the Ninja Saviours game until stage 3, where in the longplays I watched, things actually started getting in your way.
That's two wasted stages, and in my opinion does not show what a "master class," could be. Heck, even the review later on said that the game felt too short and too easy.
@Mr_Muscle I find most beat-em-ups have an easy first stage. I will say, as I do love the SNES game from 1994, what I read in the review sounds very much like a master class in updating the SNES game. I'm quite excited to play this update. I don't think the game will be quite as easy in the early stages as you were led to believe by what you watched. That's at least without practice. I took a look at some more video. There's one that specifically shows the first 10 minutes of game play on Switch and it looks to be a more accurate representation of how the game is typically played compared to the other longplays I saw. That video shows how the enemies attack and do damage. Stage one is rather simple, but the boss got some shots in. Stage two, especially, shows lots of enemy attacks. Whoever was playing it was nearly defeated before the end of the second stage. If it's anything like the SNES game, then I think the difficulty curve will be excellent for a game of this type and that it will be challenging in the way that I like and satisfying. Keep in mind that the SNES game could be considered too easy, as it had unlimited continues and generous checkpoints. But I enjoy it so much, I always come back to it, because it's fun. But, as I said, consider checking out other video, since you seem at least somewhat interested in the concept. Perhaps you will see that it's not quite as simplistic in the early stages. If it still looks too easy and it's not for you, that's fine. We're not all going to like the same thing.
@Moroboshi876 You pay taxes at the checkout with playasia. it is of course all personal preference like anything. The original SFC box art is one of my all-time favourites, so for me this was a must.
@Mr_Muscle Well it's the same game but tweaked, so you can take from that what you will. i don't care whether you like it, buy it or don't. I did and i'm loving it. Buying games isn't a complicated task.
@YANDMAN well, maybe the European version has the dual cover too. Who knows. Play Asia does give you the opportunity to pay taxes beforehand, and lower than the real ones (I guess the fact that they don't always stop the items in custom makes it worth it for Play Asia), but it makes the shipping costs even higher.
@YANDMAN Cool man!
@sdelfin I feel like everyone is trying to sell me on this game, but while it piqued my interest I’m finding it’s not for me. So far you’ve been the most reasonable and nice about it; I’m glad you enjoy it but it’s not for me. I do love the graphics, I just wish it were slightly more engaging. Anyway, have fun!
@Moroboshi876 I'm in the U.K and if you don't pay the taxes then Royal mail will hold it and charge you a separate fee on top for handling it. paying taxes at checkout for me is by far the cheapest way.
@YANDMAN Sane here, I was just pointing out that it makes the whole thing more expensive
God Bless Natsume & Taito! Need remakes: Pocky & Rocky, Lufia II, Power Blade, Sonic BlastMan, Little Samson, Chase H.Q., Legend of Kage, Rainbow Islands, BlueShadow...
Really can't wait for this and to be honest, the two CONS are PROS for me as I'm not very patient and don't have much time to play anyways!
Nice! I liked the SNES game so i think i will like this one too.
If anyone is tempted by this but hasn't pulled the trigger - it's awesome and worth every penny. Looks beautiful, sounds great and once you get used to the controls (this is more Street Fighter than Streets of Rage) it plays superbly. It's a must own. One of the best on the Switch in my opinion.
@alysdexia I typ quickly at work, whilst i'm not meant to be. Thanks for reading my comment though. You have a lovely mouth and Jesus blesses you my child.
@alysdexia No sure if spambot or an actual user...
I'm asking this since your account was made nearly a decade ago, and in that time between 2009 and now you've only made a single comment (not counting the ones above). If you're an actual person, then please refrain from making comments like those as it's against the community rules.
If you don't respond or make comments in the next couple of days, then i'll just assume you're a spambot that was undetected for so long and probably rev up my ban fryer on ya.
@alysdexia When a spambot spams it's quite easy to spot them. Spambots in the past have commented on older articles/threads that have been inactive for months/years, they also tend to not have an avatar.
I thought you might've been a spambot due to randomly coming back to NL to reply/insult others on a almost two month article after only making one comment in 2009. I can see now that you're an actual person and not a bot, however, that doesn't give you an excuse to be rude to others about how they typed a comment or say how the devs don't care about them since someone had "god bless" in their comment.
If you want to rejoin the community with your OG account, then you may do so, and welcome back to NL after so long, however, if you're going to just reply to users or members of staff with abusive remarks on inactive (or current) articles, then i'll have no choice but to ban your account. You have been warned, so please lay off those kind of comments.
@alysdexia Thank you, Jesus loves you.
Honestly, I think Wild Guns and Wild Guns Reloaded are too hard, so I think an easier difficulty is a nice change. I wish they changed the blood from green to red though.
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