NINJA GAIDEN: RAGEBOUND

Dotemu's spinoff goes back, sideways and somewhere new

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At first, the notion of a Ninja Gaiden spinoff not starring series regular Ryu Hayabusa gives us flashbacks to the risible Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. Even with the passing of a decade, that particular wound remains as deep as any inflicted by a katana. The appearance of Dotemu's name on Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound calms our fears, however, given the publisher's track record of retro reboots, as does that of The Game Kitchen, after its work on the Blasphemous games.

It's equally pleasing to hear that Ragebound is going back to the series' roots, in both its sidescrolling perspective and its story. In the opening tutorial we play as Joe Hayabusa, leading up to a recreation of the iconic duel in the original NES title from 1988. This is essentially a parallel tale — a gaiden of Ninja Gaiden, if you will — detailing just what happens to the Hayabusa Clan during Ryu's vengeful journey to the US.