The Legend of Kage 2
Developer(s)Lancarse[1]
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • JP: March 13, 2008
  • NA: October 7, 2008
  • EU: November 7, 2008
  • AU: November 13, 2008
Genre(s)Platform, action

The Legend of Kage 2 (影之伝説, Kage no Densetsu 2) is a Japanese action-adventure game developed by Lancarse for the Nintendo DS, and published by Taito in 2008. Taito's parent company, Square Enix, published a North American localization of the game later that year. The Legend of Kage 2 is the sequel to The Legend of Kage (1985), an arcade game developed and distributed by Taito.

Plot

The player takes control of: either Kage, the ninja from the first game (armed with a katana and shuriken); or Chihoiro, a kunoichi from Iga raised by Hanzo Hattori (armed with a kusarigama). Both are loyal to the shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. Their mission is to rescue Tokugawa's daughter, Princess Kirihime; she has been kidnapped by the demonic warlord Yoshiro Kuyigusa and his aide-de-camp, the rogue samurai Yukinosuke Riko, in an attempt to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate.

Gameplay

Kage and Chihoiro each have a personal story and 17 different ninjutsu techniques to master. They have skills such as abilities to climb vertical cliffs, hanging from ceilings, and blocking enemy attacks with the sword (which could also be done in the original game). The game introduces ninpo skills such as Bunshin no Jutsu, a technique that creates deadly duplicates of the player. Mastering ninjutsu enables players to launch powerful elemental attacks and summon monsters.[3]

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two sevens, one eight, and one seven for a total of 29 out of 40.[6]

It was noted for its difficulty, which was reported to rise considerably after the first level. The game was also praised for the well-designed boss fights, and crisp, vivid art, but was also criticized for the lack of detail in the environments. The controls were reported to have minor problems such as being unable to jump immediately after an attack.[9] The story was also criticized for straying from the original source material, as well as its lack of voiceovers and repetitive level layouts.[5]

References

  1. ^ 業務実績. Lancarse (in Japanese). January 4, 2010. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  2. ^ IGN staff (October 7, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 Ships to Retailers". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Orry, James (September 10, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 handed November Euro release". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "The Legend of Kage 2 for DS Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Bettenhausen, Shane (October 7, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 Review". 1Up.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  6. ^ a b rawmeatcowboy (March 5, 2008). "Famitsu review scores". GoNintendo. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  7. ^ Balistrieri, Emily (October 20, 2008). "Kage Densetsu: Legend of Kage 2 [sic]". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 23, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  8. ^ Shau, Austin (October 30, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 Review". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Keast, Matthew (October 7, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 review". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Platt, Dylan (October 24, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 - NDS - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  11. ^ Harris, Craig (October 20, 2008). "[The] Legend of Kage 2 Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Legend of Kage 2". Nintendo Power. Vol. 233. Future US. November 2008. p. 104.
  13. ^ Metts, Jonathan (October 23, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2". Nintendo World Report. NINWR, LLC. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Khan, Jahanzeb (January 26, 2010). "The Legend of Kage 2 Review". PALGN. PAL Gaming Network. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  15. ^ Williams, Jordan (November 3, 2008). "The Legend of Kage 2 (DS) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2022.

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