This is a well put together game. Let's hope that this is a new start to a potentially great series.
Now, this is a sequel to a game that was released 20 years ago. Frankly, I don't know why they revived the title (I can hardly call it a series yet). Legend of Kage for the NES was the emperor of frustration. Cheap deaths, lousy controls, bad weaponry... enough to make you want to throw the control at the ninjas your fighting for the hope of better aim. The unique part about it was that you can jump ridiculously high and climb trees, which I admit I had some fun with before I was torn apart by enemy shurikens.
Looking at some screen-shots, I realized that the game had changed extensively since the NES, and, being a ninja lover myself, I started to look forward to it. It was a quietly announced game, and only $20, so I figured I wouldn't lose much if this turned out to be just as bad. As the release date grew closer, I did see some decent scores from other sites, so, remembering how quickly Ninja Five-0 was pulled off of the market before I could check it out, I went to the nearest Best Buy and grabbed a copy.
As the name implies, it stars Kage, a young ninja of the Iga Ninja Clan, who was sent to escort Princess Kirihime. To make a long story short, she's kidnapped, and it's up to you to rescue her from an evil ninja clan that summons demons (channeling Ninja Gaiden at all?). The main story is almost needless, but the characters (even the bosses) are more deep than that of Ninja Gaiden and a bit more interesting.
Immediately, I noticed that the gameplay was completely revamped, providing a challenging yet fair difficulty. This is another in a line of games that want to give you an old school experience, but, unlike Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden, Kage never feels like an impossible task. Granted, there are a few boss fights that took me a few tries to beat, but they never put me to the point of insanity as Hiruko from Shinobi has done. Expect a challenge, but it will never feel too frustrating.
Just like the previous game, you are able to jump really high from the start, but they give you more than just that. You are able to run up walls at incredible speeds, jump off enemies heads and cling to the ceiling. None of these are, say, innovative, but what they used was very well executed. The acrobatic ability of Kage is enough to immerse yourself, and it well captures the ninja feel. All his ability gives you a sense of superiority and freedom over your enemies.
Kage 2 has more of a focus on melee than the last. Shurikens are available, of course, but those are less powerful than the Katana (as to be expected). For the katana, you start out only being able to swing once, but as you progress you are able to pull off a three combo and moves to make you look as bad-ass as possible. Charging the katana sets off a split ability that projects two or more shadows of yourself behind you. Another thing I would like to point out is that, unlike most sidescrollers, the enemies do not do damage by just touching you. They actually have to attack you in order to do any damage, which I felt was a nice touch.
There is also a magic (ninjitsu) element that allows you to perform various deadly attacks like summoning fireballs or lightning. Magic is created through a mid-mission system where you combine various elements (fire, water, lightning, neutral). You are only allowed to use what you can fit on the grid, but it can get rather clever on how you can mix in combos for the sake of room. It's not the most advanced magic system I've seen, but it is well thought out and can keep you trying to make deadly combos for an hour or two.
As for the enemies, most of the time you'll fight standard ninjas and their recolors, but once I started to accuse it of bad variety, I was suddenly attacked by this random bird and a rabid dog at the same time, as though a retort. Later on, there is a wide variety of evil ninjas and samurai that should keep you going. Even if you're still unsatisfied with the level enemies, the game provides some well thought out boss designs, from a rival ninja to a giant spider. To its credit, the boss fights are challenging but they are never too difficult and break the flow of the game to any great degree. Overall, the combat is well put together keeping you on your toes through the course of the game.
Graphically, I, personally, don't see anything wrong with them, but I feel that they could have done more. As it is, it sometimes seems like a GBA game with two screens. The music seems retro, but neither the graphics nor the sound hindered my experience in any way. Any more dwelling on these things would just be pointless nitpicking, because the gameplay is rich and enough to let you forgive a few short comings.
All in all, Legend of Kage 2 was well put together, and, although there is not much in terms of innovation, what they used was well put together an executed for a satisfying experience. It is worth more than its $20 price, making it one of the biggest surprises I've come across all year. Despite the lack of advertisement and publicity, Legend of Kage 2 proves itself to be more than a what was expected, and hopefully a new beginning to a redeemed game series.
8.5/10