Play Legend of Kage 2, The (Venom) Online

I picked up The Legend of Kage 2 on the Nintendo DS back in 2008, a Taito release that felt like a proper throwback to arcade action games but built for the dual screens. It arrived when the DS library was full of experimental titles, but this one stuck to its roots, offering a straightforward, side-scrolling ninja adventure without a lot of fuss.

You control a young ninja named Kage, or his partner Chihiro, tasked with rescuing a princess from a sinister clan. The game plays out across distinct, screen-by-screen stages where you slash through waves of enemy ninjas, leap between treetops, and occasionally descend into brief dungeon areas. Your main tools are a sword for close combat and a chain whip that can attack in multiple directions or grab onto branches to swing across gaps. The pace is relentless; enemies spawn constantly, and the difficulty can spike without much warning, demanding quick reflexes and smart use of your special ninja arts. It feels fast, chaotic, and deeply satisfying when you chain together a perfect series of jumps and attacks.