Gaiden the nostalgia.
There are so many games attempting to cater to the classic nostalgia people like me grew up with. The Messenger wears its inspirations on its sleeve. This game wants to be Ninja Gaiden from the NES days, and for the most part it does it well. However, with a name like ‘The Messenger’ and so many pixelated titles dropping on a weekly basis, something like this would be easy to overlook. Still the cream always rises to the top and The Messenger manages to stand out in a world of “me-too” titles similar.
The Messenger has all the trappings of a Ninja Gaiden game. Jumping, slicing, wall climbing; it’s all here. The biggest change to the formula is that our hero can perform another jump by attacking something. This mechanic is called cloud stepping and it is rad. Advanced players can basically stay off the ground for a very long time. The game focuses on movement and the level design encourages it. It is a great mechanic that really defines this game.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Switch (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
The game starts off with a nod to its Ninja Gaiden inspirations. Players take on the role of a bumbling ninja and the real hero gives us a task to deliver a message, hence the name of the game. While the story seems trite it is full of hilarious commentary. The shopkeeper, for example, has some great dialogue exchanges. The game sticks to its slapstick until it runs out, which unfortunately happens before the game ends.
The Messenger is a tale of two games though. While it starts off as a basic action game focused on attacks and platforming, it evolves into more a ways through it. I noticed as I was going through the game that levels felt open, so much to the point that it felt like I could go backwards through them just as easily as I was going forward. The reason for this opens up as the game progresses. It evolves into an almost Metroidvania at one point with a more exploration-focused demeanor.
It is jarring at first. What really hurts it, though is by the time I got there I had already gotten most of the cool upgrades. So the need to explore felt less appealing than it did early on. The developers attempted something unique here, but the execution feels messy. There are still things to discover and find, but they are not nearly as interesting as the items obtained earlier.
Visually I love the hook of this game. It starts off mirroring the 8-bit Ninja Gaiden aesthetic, but of course with modern design. However, later in the game it throws in a twist that let me switch to 16-bit visuals and it hammered all the nostalgia buttons. The developers clearly grew up with the same games I did and they nailed it. The music is also some of the best original chiptune music I have heard since Shovel Knight. Really it is that good.
The Messenger is a horrible name for a game that pays homage to Ninja Gaiden. Don’t let the name stop you, though. This is one of the best of its type and is worth checking out. I do wish it was more widely available across consoles, but Switch and PC owners should certainly not miss this one.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
