One of my favorite games of last year, which I was sad was overlooked by many, was Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Not only was it the best action-platformer for me, but its 2D art style with gorgeous animation enthralled me and excited me with the prospect of SEGA reviving even more series with this style and treatment. Now, I got the opportunity to return to this superb title thanks to the SEGA Villains DLC, and fell in love once more due to its new stages, which feature a heavy dose of nostalgia and the most difficult levels and bosses in the whole game.
A Villainous Legacy
The DLC for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, aptly titled, SEGA Villains Stage, draws Jose Musashi into yet another interdimensional mayhem. This time, however, instead of only demons, some of the most iconic villains from the SEGA universe appear, including Death Adder from Golden Axe, Goro Majima from Like a Dragon/Yakuza, and Dr. Eggman from Sonic.
There are a total of five stages, the first two serving as an introduction to the worlds of the first two series, and the final one pitting you against Sonic’s nemesis. At first, I thought the content was going to be a bit short, but the truth is that these stages were among some of my favorite in the whole game, with some surpassing some of the base title, and on top of that, bringing the most challenging encounters, enemy gauntlets, and boss fights of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.
On top of the welcome challenges, there are also a couple of things to unlock, such as new outfits for Joe Musashi, three brand-new Ninpo, and a boss rush stage. Now, contrary to the stages and boss fights, I must say that the new Ninpo weren’t my cup of tea. While I’ve added the one you get from Majima’s stage to my repertoire, as I feel is the most useful, the other felt quite underwhelming and a bit disappointing, as I was expecting them to be more helpful, especially with how difficult they are to obtain. Outfits, on the other hand, are pretty good, so no complaints there.
Still, what shines above anything else, and just like the base game, is the gameplay and art style, both of which have raised the bar even higher, which I thought wouldn’t be possible. For the gameplay part, these stages are full of some of the most amazing, perfectly-crafted, and difficult platforming sections, along with the most difficult enemy gauntlets in the game. I was extremely rusty after not playing the game for a while, but I enjoyed the level of difficulty the DLC threw at me, as it encouraged me to dust off my Ninpo and use all the moves Musashi knew.
The art is as gorgeous as in any other stage, and I even dare say a bit more in some parts. I might be a bit biased, especially since my favorite game series is Like a Dragon, but seeing a warped Kamurocho with floating buildings, signs, and the Millennium Tower in the background easily became one of my favorite video game moments of recent times, and all thanks to the strong art direction of this game. The other stages, however, are just at the same level, and if SEGA keeps reviving classics just like it did with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, I hope we get more of this art style.
An Interdimensional Success
Overall, the SEGA Villains DLC for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a superb addition to an already flawless title. As someone who spent dozens of hours in the base game, I thought it would be hard to make new content that would draw me back in, but this DLC did it, and did so in a satisfying way.
It is somewhat bittersweet, though, as it is uncertain if we’ll get more DLC for this fantastic action-platformer, but I hope we do. SEGA struck a gold mine with this formula, and the level of quality and care that Lizardcube put into this revival is unmatched. I can only hope that this isn’t the end for Joe Musashi’s world-saving antics, but if it is, it will go out with a bang as one of the greatest, most unique, and best-looking platformers of the decade.
