You never see a true ninja attack coming. So it’s only appropriate that none of us predicted Joe Musashi sneaking back onto our screens when Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was announced at The Game Awards in 2023. It’s been eagerly anticipated since, but the 2D action platformer is finally ready to unsheathe its blade on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 August 29.
Less of a surprise was the reveal that Lizardcube was tasked with Shinobi’s razor-edged return. The developer is no stranger to breathing life into Sega’s classic IP, with its slick work on WonderBoy: The Dragon’s Trap remake and Streets of Rage 4 proving its pedigree.
“Back in 2021 Sega wanted to revive an older IP and hinted if I had anything in mind,” says LizardCube CEO and Art/Creative Director Ben Fiquet. “I’m a Shinobi kid, so I quickly pitched my vision for that. Because we make 2D titles, when I create drawings it’s like rendering what will be the same in the final game.”
The actual art of Vengeance
This immediate visualization provided a relatively easy win in terms of Shinobi’s striking aesthetic, something Ben describes as “a continuation of their style; a bit more Japanese, but still very French and very Lizardcube”. With Ben revealing that he grew up on beautifully animated 16-bit platformers like Aladdin, it’s easy to see what inspired that look. But from there the challenge became working out how to mix classic Shinobi authenticity with a contemporary feel.
“It was a bit different compared to working on Streets of Rage or Wonder Boy because Shinobi has more iterations,” explains Ben. “At first I wanted to make something more like a direct follow up to the original Shinobi games. But I quickly realized that it wasn’t as fun as I remember. Gameplay-wise you can lose yourself by going too far in the other direction, too, but Shinobi has always been changing with the times. So we wanted to make a modern game but with the appeal of the first titles.”
“We felt that a slow-paced, methodical 2D game wouldn’t quite match the tastes of modern players,” agrees Toru Ohara, Sega of Japan’s Chief Producer. “We decided to focus on delivering exhilarating, satisfying action, and make the most of Lizardcube’s strengths — their distinctive art style and their expertise in 2D games.”
Cutting into the combat
The big secret weapon in keeping that classic Shinobi feel with an up-to-date gloss? A katana. And kunai. And Ninpo. And… okay, let’s just wrap it all up into the development team’s focus on fast, fluid, personalised combo-driven combat.
“We quickly realized we wanted to push the combat further,” says Ben. “So we added more systems. That sort of thing can snowball when you’re making it, given it mixes platforming with fighting. But it’s very satisfying to be able to fight your way through levels, and more ninja-like by being swift and chaining combos.”
That wasn’t to say that the process of crafting this system was entirely smooth. “The prototype we had was very different to what we ended up with,” Ben reveals. “After a playtest we saw something was missing so we went back to the drawing board.”
The result was the inclusion of the execution system, which rewards the player with stylish finishing moves and resources to spend on upgrading Joe’s abilities. Which played nicely into the freeform system that sits at the centre of Shinobi’s compelling and polished gameplay.
“Lizardcube wanted to prioritize freedom of choice and allow players to perform actions that look cool,” says Toru. “I’ll admit I had some concerns at first, but as the system took shape, I realized that being able to unleash the move you want, when you want, created a tremendous sense of exhilaration.
“I often explain it like this: in the early stages, the character controls like one from an action game, but by the mid-to-late game, it starts to feel more like controlling a character in a fighting game. Being able to create that kind of fresh gameplay experience was a very pleasant surprise.”
“And you can mash buttons and still do something cool, and maybe end up with an execution,” laughs Ben. “We’ve already seen players do amazing things in the demo, with speed runs and combos.”
Bosses now, villains next
If you’ve not yet played the demo – and you should – the question some of you now might be asking is, “can I perform these combos and executions on the bosses?” Yes, you absolutely can. And those boss fights remain spectacular in their own right, something Ben is keen to keep as a surprise for you to discover yourself. Although when pressed, he admitted he has a couple of favourites. “The monkey boss Kozaru at the end of the first stage,” he admits. “And the boss of stage five. It’s a vampire Yakuza, but I can’t say anything more than that.”
Which led us to talk about the Villains Stage DLC coming at a later date, featuring boss characters from other Sega titles, the first being Sonic the Hedgehog’s arch rival Doctor ‘Eggman’ Robotnik. “I hoped people would see this game as one of Sega’s many iconic IPs making a comeback,” says Toru. “So I thought it would be interesting to go beyond the original Shinobi world.”
“We wanted to acknowledge the amazing presence that these IPs have,” agrees Ben. “As well as offer other little references here and there. Shinobi is kind of a serious game. But also silly, in a way.”
What Ben is referring to is the wry sense of humour present across Lizardcube’s games which keeps things from getting too dark in Shinobi. Sure, it’s occasionally bloody, brutal and visceral, but the dev team also leans into its inherent absurdity, too.
“Joe only says one word through the entire game, which is very much an intentional joke,” says Ben. “And he’s the most obvious ninja you’ll see, dressed in white and red, riding his dog and fighting demons. But it still works. The premise is silly, but you have to treat it with respect. I just want people to have fun and help keep the IP alive.”
Stay sharp because this is one action platformer you won’t want to miss – Shinobi: Art of Vengeance launches on August 29 for PS4 and PS5.
