A great new entry in publisher Yacht Club Games' portfolio, Mechanical Head Studios’Cyber Shadowis the “quintessential ninja action game.” Following the hero on his apocalyptic crusade through the all-too-familiar cyberpunk setting of Mekacity,Cyber Shadowcaptured its audience almost immediately with its beautiful pixel art, pumped-up soundtrack, andclassically challenging gameplay.
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Much like its ancestors in theNinja Gaidenfranchise, and its older brotherShovel Knight,Yacht Club’s newest promised quite an experience. After its relatively short play-time (by today’s standards at least), many found themselves satisfied, if not wanting just a bit more from the stunning world of Mekacity. While waiting for apotential sequel, or just Yacht Club’s next venture into the world of platforming, here are some games to fill the void of high-octane 2D action.
11Katana ZERO
Here is another fantastic breakneck ninja game with a tech-beat soundtrack and some of the best gamefeel one can expect from an action platformer. Released in 2019,Katana ZEROis available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC.
Katana ZEROis a stylish example of the modern pixel art community’s finest. From the visuals to the techno bumps and the time-freeze mechanics,Katana ZEROis the perfect rhythmic cyber-thriller.
10Shovel Knight
Yacht Club’s first mainline game,Shovel Knightsurprised fanswith a deeply nostalgic, yet shiny and new experience.
Riding on the gimmick of classic NES style,Shovel Knightquickly became much, much more than just a tribute to some of thebest platformers of all time. The game boasts a charming world, well-developed characters, and several DLC featuring fan-favorite bosses. For fans of the genre,Shovel Knightis a must-play.
9Ninja Gaiden
Cyber Shadow’sdirect inspiration, as cited byYacht Club in its initial announcement.Ninja Gaidenis a tough-as-nails classic that’s gone on surprisingly long considering the series’many ups and downsover recent years.
Most players will recommend the first three NES titles and the first two reboots, which should be more than enough content to occupy a good franchise binge. Hopefully, Ryu will make a comeback before long and a newNinja Gaidengame will become a reality.
8Mega Man X Collection
What can be said aboutMegaman Xthat hasn’t already been said a million times before?
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Capcom’s classic title is often cited as not only thebestMega Mangame, but one of the best video games of all time.Mega Man X’sdesign is all-around fantastic, and game designers and artists alike use it as a premiere example of teaching good, fun design in the industry.
7Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon
Following the successful Kickstarter campaign from the beloveddeveloper ofCastlevania, theBloodstainedseries promised a return to the franchise’s roots.
Curse of the Moonwas released as an accompaniment to the Kickstarter’s main course,Ritual of the Night, except boasting a much more retro style, akin toCastlevania’searly titles. A splendid homage to NES games,Curse of the Moonis a great game even without the nostalgia goggles. A sequel was also released in 2020.
6The Messenger
Devolver’sThe Messengercan easily be seen as a spiritual twin toCyber Shadow, taking the same approach to a modernized adaptation ofNinja Gaiden.
The premise of the game is fairly simple, summed up primarily in the title. The player takes control of a ninja on his quest to deliver a scroll to the top of a mountain. Along the way, the game presents new abilities and twists, giving the classic formula a new spin.
5Mark Of The Ninja
Mark of the Ninjais praised as being one of thegreatest stealth gamesof the modern era, with the title garnering perfect scores from several sites.
Following a nameless protagonist through the ages-old conflict between tradition and tech,Mark of the Ninjais a beautifully executed entry into the genre, and a great outlet for players to execute their ninja fantasies. When it comes to modern 2D action-stealth games, they don’t get much better thanMark of the Ninja.
4Strider
Strideris another beautiful example of how to reboot aclassic arcade franchise, with its slick visuals and tight controls.
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The originalStriderwas a major influence on franchises likeGod of WarandDevil May Cry, with its innovative hack-n-slash style. The reboot brings protagonist Hiryu into a slightly darker version of the series' dystopian future. In reality, both versions are a blast and well worth players' time if not for the original’s limited availability.
Taking a cue from classic arcade games with a moremodern rogue-lite approach, Adult Swim’sSuper House of Dead Ninjasis an addictive, fast-paced rush.
Akin toMinit,SHoDNgives players only 30 seconds to make their way down a randomly generated tower, with time bonuses granted along the way. The formula promises quite a bit of replayability, even if it is naturally very difficult.
2Project Blue
Following the recent trend of creating games with the limited hardware of old consoles, toggleSwitch’sProject Bluemet a successful Kickstarter goal to allow the game to be brought to real workable NES cartridges (as well as a slightly more available digital release).
In a fitting tone, the player is set loose in a cyberpunk apocalypse and tasked with fighting a megacorp. While simple in premise and gameplay,Project Bluehas a surprisingly charming style and more than succeeds in its fulfillment of the gimmick.
