The freeware era of PC games brought forth a wide array of iconic experiences, many of which were spun off into full-fledged experiences. Five years since its initial debut, Ninja Senki is following this path thanks to developer Tribute Games through Ninja Senki DX.
In addition to the already solid and quite tough gameplay seen in the freeware version, this new edition of the side-scrolling puzzle platformer brings forth a fresh Challenge mode, secret game types, a remixed soundtrack, not to mention various improvements.
With all this extra polish as well as the fresh content and the same difficult design, is Ninja Senki DX a winner or should you go back to the freeware version and save your money? Let’s find out.
Story
Ninja Senki DX, as its name implies, tells the story of a young ninja called Hayate. After seeing his princess get killed by a demon, he swears vengeance and starts unleashing shurikens upon every enemy he meets along the way.
While it’s not exactly an Oscar-winning plot, it offers plenty of motivation for your actions. Throw in the multiple endings, and you have more than enough reasons to play through the campaign several times.
Gameplay
Ninja Senki DX retains what made the original experience a hit: you go through side-scrolling stages filled with tricky platforms and aggressive enemies, throwing shurikens and trying to survive until the end.
The controls are tight and responsive, making platforming pretty easy to do. This enables players to pay better attention to the combat, as enemies are quite agile and move around a lot. Hitting shurikens is easier said than done, but once you start getting used to it, you may begin to aspire to the rank of ninja.
Don’t expect an easy time here, as the game respects the tough-as-nails design seen in classic games from the NES and SNES era. Enemy positioning is often surprising, and you’ll certainly die a few times until you learn how to pre-fire your shurikens and how to avoid the very pesky projectiles from your opponents. That said, the game does allow for a few mistakes, as you have several lives and can be hit several times until you have to completely restart.
Stages are relatively well designed and, just like the combat, can be quite tricky. There are plenty of punishing sections that demand nothing short of perfection. There are only 16 stages in the main campaign, but seeing as how this is the DX version, there are extra modes, such as the Challenge one that’s designed to emphasize speed and skills and punishes continuing from the beginning of a level. There are also more secret modes that unlock depending on your actions, such as completing the regular campaign.
The game works relatively well with a mouse and keyboard, but as always, it's much easier to navigate the platforms with a controller. It also boasts full Steam Controller integration.
Visuals and sound
Ninja Senki DX features a classic pixelated style, honoring retro NES or SNES experiences like the original Ninja Gaiden or Mega Man. The colors look good, and the animations are relatively detailed, given the limitations of the actual style. Enemy designs are also pretty varied.
The soundtrack features an array of remixes by Patrice Bourgeault, who previously worked on other great indie projects like Mercenary Kings. You can also switch between the new style and the old one. The audio effects are also relatively varied, and there are cues that let you know when enemies die or when projectiles are fired.
The Good
- Tight controls
- Simple mechanics
- Great retro-themed visuals and sound
The Bad
- Plenty of trial and error
- Very challenging