At one point in time, ninja games were everything. There were the dependable Ninja Gaiden games to lean on, even if they ruthlessly did you in. Not to mention Sega’s Shinobi series, as well as the sweet revival of Shadow of the Ninja we got last year. Joining this party now is Ninja 1987, SEEP’s retro-inspired adventure.
The game isn’t entirely original, as it seems to take heavy inspiration from the Ninja Gaiden games. But it wears this badge with pride, partaking in its own gameplay tricks surrounded by a neat little retro presentation.
Award-winning it ain’t, as Ninja 1987 only has seven levels before you reach the final boss. But it’s nicely priced at $5, and for that, you get a meaty serving of retro slice-and-dice. It’ll certainly keep you busy until Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound emerges later this year.
Ninja 1987 Cuts and Runs With It
SEEP has been well known for its retro fare, and Ninja 1987 happily continues that trend.
The game follows a ninja warrior as he vows to cut enemies down to size. Story isn’t exactly Ninja 1987’s strong suit, as there’s very little here. But for a budget-priced title, you do get some exciting, tightly-wound gameplay.
Your general attacks – using a sword and shurikens – are great for dispatching enemies. Granted, most of them are garden variety “let’s run till we hit something” types. But it’s still great to fight your way through certain ones. And the boss enemies aren’t bad at all, particularly the final one, who is quite the handful.
However, the ninja dash attack just feels…weird. You basically run forward for a few seconds, hacking away at anything that gets in your path. It’s useful if you have multiple enemies ahead of you. But you’ll need to change tactics to avoid falling off the edge of a stage. (Lots of bottomless pits in the city.) So use that one with caution.
The game feels great, and the little challenges to overcome, like the swinging pendulums, do provide challenge. But most of you will likely be done with this one within a few hours. There is the opportunity to try for speedrunning and score chasing. However, Ninja 1987 isn’t overflowing with extras.
But considering the whole package is $5, it’s not bad at all. Sometimes you need a little snack to get you through this day. Ninja 1987 won’t hurt your wallet in the least. And, hey, it’s fun while it lasts!
Cutting Just Right With Presentation
While Ninja 1987 won’t overthrow the legendary Ninja Gaiden series, it does a serviceable job with its tribute.
The visuals look great, inspired by the best of the 8-bit fare from “the day.” The backgrounds are nice and the level structure has just the right balance. I do wish more imagination went into some of the general enemies, but they’re not bad. And the cinema sequences aren’t too shabby either, even with the lack of a cohesive story.
As for the music, SEEP did a great job here as well. While the soundtrack isn’t entirely memorable, it’s a fun listen. There are plenty of great 8-bit style melodies here, and the sound effects are nostalgic enough.
Don’t expect a game changer of any kind, but rather a retro experience that reminds us of the days of old. In this old gamers’ eyes, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Go Ninja 1987, Go Ninja 1987, Go!
With Ninja 1987, it’s best to keep expectations low. It’s a short but sweet adventure, one that doesn’t change the landscape of gaming but still lends to it. It’s fun to play, and the difficulty is reasonably balanced. And while the journey is over way too soon, it’s still one filled with joyous 8-bit moments. And, as a reminder, don’t forget this is just a mere five bucks.
It may not change the face of ninja games as we know it. But Ninja 1987 does remind us well enough of them, and fits right in to the lexicon. Go on, take a slice for yourself.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Ratalaika Games for the review code! Ninja 1987 is available now for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Steam and PlayStation!
Want more ninja goodness for your console? Check out our review of Shadow of the Ninja: Reborn!
