The Legend of Kage 2

It’s just enormously cool that this title exists, despite the fact that the only other title in the series is a 22-year old NES game. It’s stylish, fun, and offers a very solid retro experience.

The DS has given us plenty of solid side-scrollers, but Legend of Kage 2 is something special. [Nov 2008, p.104]

With the bounty of acrobatics at your disposal, Legend of Kage 2 should fill your ninja-fix. That is, if you can handle being bitch-slapped by the difficulty.

It’s not the sort of game that’s to everybody’s tastes, but for the old-school gamer who’s finished Contra 4, Legend of Kage 2 delivers a dose of good old-fashioned platforming action. Don’t worry if you don’t have nostalgia for the original — Kage 2 deserves to be played based on its own merits.

The Legend of Kage 2 won't be to everyone's liking due to its 16-bit sensibilities and challenging difficulty level, but if you're eager for something more like a traditional game than Yet More Bloody Brain Training* and nintendogs: The Lady and the Tramp Edition*, Taito's return to an era of skilful, fast-paced, unforgiving gameplay will seem like a godsend to many disenchanted gamers this Christmas.

The beauty in Legend Of Kage 2 is that it can be conquered and the game lets you know this and teases you with it - you've just got to be good enough to do it.

The Legend of Kage 2 is a good sequel with great boss battles and plenty of action.

The gameplay gets a bit repetitive, but there are incentives for exploring every nook and cranny of the game.

I enjoyed The Legend of Kage 2 despite its flaws. I was willing to overlook its deficiencies, and it was an entertaining diversion.

While it's not terribly original or striking in any way, The Legend of Kage 2 is a fun game that comes at a price which makes recommendation pretty easy.

Despite a couple of unusual tweaks, Legend of Kage 2 is an unabashedly conventional action game, the kind that we don't often see anymore. Fans of the original Ninja Gaiden titles will adore this less difficult throwback.

The Legend of Kage 2 pays homage to its 22 year old father extremely well, with a traditional feel that should really excite fans of the side-scrolling genre.

The Legend of Kage 2 may have missed its mark, but we can always hope for something better next time.

The Legend of Kage 2 starts at the point the first game left us 24 years ago. The choice of sticking to the origins of series could convince new users to try the game, but old time players could be disappointed. It's fun, but you have to be a real fan of two-dimensional-action game to decide to buy it.

A bit more ambition could've made this a true classic (how about some Wi-Fi co-op?), but as it stands, it's the next best thing to cramming GBA cult classic "Ninja Five-O" into your DS.

The Legend of Kage 2 may not be the perfect 16-bit revival, but it's definitely worth checking out for those who love fast-paced ninja platforming action!

It's ugly, but Kage feels like a Shinobi clone and that's not a bad thing. We just want a little more from today's releases, even ones priced $19.99. But for what it is, Kage 2's blade is sharp enough to cut into our game time.

It doesn't look great or sound great, but ultimately Legend of Kage 2 doesn't play that hot either. It's good for a quick romp but it's certainly nothing special.

This unexpected sequel still maintains the cool feeling of being a ninja, but all too simplistic levels and monotonous gameplay hampers the experience. The presentation can often be a bit busy, making it difficult for the player in hectic situations. There is basically no replay value at all so our advice is to wait until this title ends up in the bargain bin.