The Legend of Kage 2 review

Two decades later, a hardcore retro ninja adventure returns

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Tons of agile maneuvers

  • +

    Upgrading and tweaking

  • +

    Sense of accomplishment

Cons

  • -

    Corny story

  • -

    Minor control annoyances

  • -

    Likely too hard for some

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

If you were born in the eighties (or later), it’s possible you’ve never heard of the original Legend of Kage. It hit the arcades in the mid-eighties and then moved on to the NES a few years later. Although a shallow side-scrolling action game with only four “real” levels (they just repeated with different seasons coloring the leaves in the trees), it had one gimmick that excited every kid that found it in the arcade: your little ninja could make spectacular leaps. Think Mario’s considerable hops increased to several times the height and distance. We’d never seen anything like it before, and the exhilaration of soaring amongst trees while throwing shuriken at other hyper-leaping ninjas was something special. Even if the game as a whole was anything but.

Enter The Legend of Kage 2, now for the DS. The mega-jumps are still here, but their forward momentum has been neutered. It’s not a huge deal, but it misses out on the most exciting aspect of the original. Luckily, everything else it does is an improvement. There is a respectable variety of enemies and environments, and a host of ninja moves to let you cut loose and feel like a badass. Playing as Kage, your main actions will be slicing with your sword, tossing ninja stars like a model tosses cookies, and super-jumping literally hundreds of feet into trees and onto rooftops. Wall running, ceiling hanging, magic spells, and dash attacks add to the arsenal that completes the supernaturally-agile ninja feeling.

You’ll need all these tricks to survive. This game is hard; make no mistake. The first level is very easy, letting you get the hang of things, but the game immediately ramps up the punishment with the second boss, and just gets more difficult for the most part. A couple of bosses are strangely easier than what came before them, but most of them took us an average of ten attempts to defeat them. Boss after boss seems impossible at first, but eventually enough persistence reveals an easier way to beat them. It’s a well-designed system, assuming you have some patience, since it’s very satisfying when a boss does finally go down.

More info

GenreAction
DescriptionAfter more than 2 decades since the first game graced arcades, this cult favorite at last has a second chapter. Slice with your sword, toss ninja stars and super-jump literally hundreds of feet into trees and onto rooftops. Kage offers a satisfying ninja-fix, if you can handle the difficulty.
Platform"DS"
US censor rating"Everyone 10+"
UK censor rating"Rating Pending"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
More
CATEGORIES
Matthew Keast
My new approach to play all games on Hard mode straight off the bat has proven satisfying. Sure there is some frustration, but I've decided it's the lesser of two evils when weighed against the boredom of easiness that Normal difficulty has become in the era of casual gaming.
Latest in Action
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Assassin's Creed Shadows Belly of the Beast Ise Sadaoki sending Naoe to get papers
How to retrieve the papers in the Assassin's Creed Shadows Belly of the Beast quest
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows shoots past 3 million players and 40 million hours played with the "second-highest day 1 sales revenue in Assassin's Creed franchise history"
A cartoon woman catches a tomato while cooking in Rhythm Heaven Groove
Rhythm Heaven Groove has one of Nintendo's longest-suffering fandoms absolutely feasting: "AFTER 10 YEARS WE FINALLY WON"
Assassin's Creed Shadows The Killing Field executioner boss fight
How to find and kill the executioner in Assassin's Creed Shadows
The Forgotten Cellar door beneath St. Katherine's Church in Atomfall.
How to open the Forgotten Cellar door in Atomfall
Latest in Reviews
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma on desk with blue lighting reflecting off surface and Alienware gaming monitor on top.
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma review: “a pretty but flawed premium RGB riser for your gaming desk”
Image of the Corsair Virtuoso Max wireless headset sitting on top of a gaming PC case taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe.
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless review - a PC headset tour de force
Zombicide box featuring stylized art of survivors fighting zombies
Zombicide 2nd Edition review: "Like a zombie flick brought to tabletop"
Razer Handheld Dock with Steam Deck sitting on cradle, pink and yellow RGB lighting on, and Alienware monitor in background with Tomb Raider Trilogy gameplay on screen.
Razer Handheld Dock review: “Your Steam Deck will ride shiny and Chroma"
Photographs of the Agricola board game in play
Agricola review: "Accurate representation of the highly competitive and often unstable world of agriculture"
Photos taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Shure MV7i microphone, within a pink and white themed room.
Shure MV7i review - convenience and excellence rolled into one superb sounding package