The side-scroller takes place as a side story that follows what happened to the Hayabusa clan and Japan after Ryu ventured to the US to investigate his father’s death. — Photos: The Game Kitchen
Before developer Tomonobu Itagaki brought the Ninja Gaiden franchise into the polygonal realm, the series had been an arcade mainstay and a classic Nintendo Entertainment System trilogy. The side-scrolling adventure was renowned for its difficulty and visuals that pushed the 8-bit system to its limits.
For its time, Ryu Hayabusa’s exploits were a revelation of storytelling and action, but unfortunately, it never spawned a true sequel on the Super Nintendo, and fans would have to wait longer for Itagaki to take the reins on Xbox 360. Those who have been waiting for a successor with gorgeous sprite-based graphics now have one thanks to The Game Kitchen, the team that developed Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound.
