NatsumeAtari and ININ have announced that the next retro revival from Tengo Project will beShadow of the Ninja – Reborn. This is described as a “completely new production” but is based on the 1990 NES game,Shadow of the Ninja, also known asBlue Shadowin Europe andYami no Shigotonin Kagein Japan. It’s set for release in Spring 2024.
Tengo Project is the studio behindWild Guns Reloadedand last year’sPocky & Rocky Reshrined. Both are based on rather obscure retro games in their own right, but both are absolutely stellar.
I must admit that I haven’t yet playedShadow of the Ninja, but it’s on the Switch Online NES channel, so why the hell not? However, it has been on my radar for years now. It’s well remembered for being a rad ninja platformer, but more importantly, because it had a two-player coop. That multiplayer will be retained forShadow of the Ninja – Reborn, as it brings back Hayate and Kaeda.
Perhaps, more importantly, is that they’re also bringing in Iku Mizutani to compose the soundtrack. Not only was Mizutani the original composer on the 1990 version, but he also created the soundtrack to 1991’sShatterhandand the PC-88 version ofSnatcher.
Shadow of the Ninja – Rebornis coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in Spring 2024.
