The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors Review

Previously released for consoles, NatsumeAtari and Taito have brought the heavy-hitting action of The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors to Steam. Android ninjas, 16-bit action, and explosive pyrotechnics all make for a stellar resume, but does this beat-em-up shine through?

The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors Review

As one does in beat-em-ups, the tyrant Banglar has a number of mooks that need thrashing in this title. Taking control of a ninja of their choosing, players will be able to use arm grappling, razor-sharp kunais, spiral slashes, and boost dashes to take down machete-wielding goons en masse and save the day. Combat is fluid, and there’s plenty of variety across each stage as players traverse mansions, shopping malls, remote compounds and other venues ripe for a fight. As an added bonus, each character plays wildly different from each other, providing additional incentive to come back after saving the day.

Everything in this 2D side-scroller revolves around its Battery Gauge. Charging up over time, players will be able to use Charge Attacks once they reach a certain level. However, there’s a catch – take damage and it empties out, leaving players back at square one. Each character does have a decent amount of moves at their disposal, but keeping that meter nice and topped off is a great way to prevent enemies from chipping away at your armor to nothing.

As a result, it pays to be prudent. Going out guns-a-blazing means that players will be at a big disadvantage when the foes swap out knives for guns and chainsaws. While players can take a few hits and there are health pickups to gather, there are still many threats to deal with at any given time. In true side-scrolling fashion, deadly bosses and countless threats dot the landscape of its overall hour-long runtime. This title definitely provides a challenge as well, and there’s a hard mode for those looking for it.

Unfortunately there’s not too much to explore outside of the main mode of The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors. Time attack segments for each stage can be unlocked, and there’s also the ability to jump into the Online Rankings for single player (both normal and hard) and multiplayer. There was nobody present as of our review period, but it is still admittedly too soon to tell.

Despite all of this, The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a stone-cold stunner. The aesthetics of the 16-bit Super Nintendo original have been improved a considerable amount, with detailed sprite work, rocking tunes, and great aesthetics all around. It’s truly got a timeless look, one that will still hold up for years to come.

The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a bit light on content, but what is here is a worthy follow-up to the side-scrolling cult classic. Those that don’t mind a short runtime will have a great time minmaxing the Battery Gauge to cause massive damage.

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