I have enjoyed the side-scrolling brawler genre since I first played videogames, and I’ve also liked ninjas since then. Despite this, I have somehow missed playing Taito’s 1987 and 1994 re-released brawler called Ninja Saviors until receiving a review code for The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors. Originally, Ninja Warriors was a popular arcade, so much that it got re-released on the SNES seven years later, as Ninja Saviors: Again. Now, thanks to Natsume and Project Tengo, Ninja Saviors returns once more in a remastered and updated way. Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a potent blend of the arcade and ’94 release, along with new features that make it a must-own those that enjoy the genre or a fun and challenging couch co-op experience.
No matter which version of Ninja Saviors you play, the silly near-future story remains the same that sees a (mad) scientist making a team of cybernetic ninja warriors to fight off the US government’s oppressive regime. The original games included three characters, and those are present here as well, with the ability to unlock two entirely new characters: Yaksha and Raiden. Yaksha is small, nimble, and uses flexible arms to reach out and hit her foes, while Raiden is a beast of a tank-like that has some flying abilities. He just about dwarfs even the other previous big character named ‘Ninja.’ Unfortunately, the two new characters are not available from the get go.
Before hopping into the retro action, I perused the various options for the game, which included a few screen/display tweaks such as scan line support, and the ability to toggle the blood color between green and red. It’s worth checking out the manual as well, which gives you a rundown of the controls and unique features of the characters. Each character has different aerial and range attacks, but all have a battery and armor meter. The armor meter is equivalent to your life/HP meter, while the battery meter determines when you can execute a powerful, screen-clearing special move.
What I quickly found out with Ninja Saviors is that there’s more strategy to the combat than I was used to with a brawler. Character movement when walking is slow, but it’s deliberate — you’re meant to take note of the variety of enemies and their patterns, and counter accordingly. Being able to use your characters abilities effectively is absolutely key because there are no extra lives in this seven stage battle. There are health packs, but they are infrequent; I saw the Game Over screen plenty of times, but thankfully checkpoints are pretty reasonably positioned, even if it does erase your speedrun numbers. Additionally, any hit that you sustain docks your battery meter, so that special move you were saving up could literally disappear in a flash. Checkpoints are typically placed a little bit before bosses and give you time to fight common enemies to help build up that meter, but you will have to become adept at the nuances of your character and the movements and patterns of the enemies.
These kind of games are best played in co-op, so if you can grab a buddy to team up with locally, you’re surely in for a much more enjoyable, and easier, time. It’s clear that Taito’s original intent was for people to team-up at the arcade and use different characters to combine their complimentary abilities. Ninja, the character, has a nice sliding attack at ground-level while Kamaitachi has a back-clearing attack. It’s not a bad idea to look over the manual and even a video to understand the differences between the characters as their uniqueness goes well beyond name and appearance.
While I would have personally preferred the addition of three player support, or even extra stages or modes, Natsume and Project Tengo did a great job of resurrecting a classic for modern audiences and adding two new playable characters. Other cool features include a timer to encourage speed runs, with online leaderboard support, and being able to unlock the soundtracks from the original and the ’94 games. Beautiful sprite art and animation, and a nostalgic-inducing soundtrack add wonderfully to the experience as well.
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