ReNinja: Strider Leaps In Today

As a writer for Rock, Paper, Shotgun I am contractually obliged to know absolutely nothing about the series that Capcom are most recently rebooting. Previously consigned purely to the arcades and consoles, protagonist Strider Hiryu and his menagerie of robots was firmly beyond my grasp. I was disallowed any knowledge of his wall-hanging, ninja-running, platform-jumping ways and any investigation into the original late 80s arcade game, which this remake is based on, was redirected to Monkey Island Studies. Thank goodness for other people's nostalgia, as from today the pyjama-clad death machine is available on Steam with a launch trailer below, if you're quick enough.

If you're unconvinced, there's a dev diary and other information available on the Steam page linked above. As with all classics, a certain amount of de-roseifying is required when judging both the original forms and any remakes. As great as a game may have been in 1989, it's unlikely to match up to what we expect from modern efforts. Developers Double Helix have spoken about how they wished to remain true to the series by maintaining links to previous games through powers and plotline, but understand players expect more from their Metroidvania(lite?)s now. On the other hand, Nathan's concerns from the announcement still seem valid and we'll be casting our most critical eye in the near future.