Gaming

Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn comes with unlimited ways to perish

Unlimited tries means practicing the ninja way a bit more

Published

September 30, 2024

Gab Orlina

I’ve always been used to seeing ninjas in more traditional settings. That’s especially considering that their fighting style requires elusiveness most of the time. There are a slew of games out there that touch on ninja story arcs. These push the boundaries of one’s emotions while testing their reflexes in high-stakes environments. And yes, there is a lot of button mashing involve: to get the combos right, to use items at the right time, and to escape death at every point.

Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn on the Nintendo Switch is mostly the latter but you remove the whole ninja story arc and historical setting in play. It adds a modern twist to an otherwise traditional way of combat in a fast-paced environment filled with perils and obstacles. Even the style of the graphics, in a way, still follows a simplified direction. It’s more 2D-looking similar to the original on the NES.

Is it enough to play the game all the way through? If anything, it depends on how far you’re willing to go.

A taste of modern ninja combat

The entire game rests upon the idea that the way of the ninja is that of a simple one: attack when needed and be aggressive with it. Overall, the way you fight off waves of enemies and obstacles revolves around short and long-range attacks timed perfectly. When going on the defense, you could only avoid attacks instead of having items to protect you.

Speaking of items, Shadow of the Ninja also comes with various items you can use to aid your progression throughout all six stages. From healing items to weapons, they’re quite helpful. That’s especially true against some of the tougher bosses or harder to clear obstacles down the line. You can find these within each stage by breaking metal containers, so they’re not that hard to miss.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward system that makes you adapt your strategies the moment each stage or sub-stage begins. You’ll assess the environment, figure out which enemies you can hit with short or long-range attacks, and get by obstacles while beating the 1000-second timer. For a casual player, it can be overwhelming no matter how you slice it. Thankfully, you can play the stages as many times as you like.

Two modes, unlimited possibilities

Where I spent most of the time playing Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn was in Arcade Mode. There’s a six-stage gauntlet that puts your ninja skills to the test. Of course, the first few levels are there to serve as a way for you to get used to the controls. But it only gets harder from there. As customary to any game with a timer, you will lose your life trying to get through all six stages. And that’s just part of the experience.

As you go through Arcade Mode, you will carry over any items you acquire along the way and earn a score depending on how much you cleared in one go. At the end, you also earn some of the items as consumables, which you can purchase when you replay the same level in the other mode, Time Attack! However, every death within the stage resets the score and removes the items, but not your progress!

In order for you to unlock Time Attack, you’ll have to get through just the first stage of the game. Honestly, that’s all good but you can only unlock the rest if you’ve beaten them in Arcade Mode. So. you will spend a lot of time trying to beat the game. If only you could purchase items before starting stages in Arcade Mode, you could get it done a lot faster.

Overwhelming stages reinforced by trial and error

Now, these six stages are, in my opinion, carefully designed to do a lot of trial and error on. In terms of overall art design, it only made sense to do it with 2D sprites and desolate backdrops given an apocalyptic setting. What stood out to me was how they made certain stage elements pop out, especially for the platforms you’ll be climbing or scaling up on.

Although, there were some instances during my playthrough wherein I couldn’t tell platforms apart. It took some guess work to go through stages and grab items when the design doesn’t illustrate it as a platform. As a result, you will end up spending more time making guesses on platform design as you progress through the stages without meeting certain death.

Once you get used to the environment, you can breeze through a lot of the stages and enemies with ease. All it really takes is repeatedly falling off said stages or getting knifed to death!

A daunting task to finish

Admittedly, Shadow of the Ninja was a pretty interesting game to go through from start to finish. While it does come with game play mechanics that require repetition for perfection, it’s done in a short and rather fast-paced manner. For me, it’s action-packed and will make you think on your feet without having your survival instincts kick in.

I am appreciative of the fact that you can continuously replay the stages whenever you get a “game over” because of the difficulty. It doesn’t make you feel completely dumbfounded over making mistakes, and you don’t lose a ton of progress, too. Plus, the stage design is set-up nicely and ups the ante as you progress further.

It’s a solid pickup if you’re looking to just pass the time anywhere you are. It’s doable in terms of playing all the way through. But you don’t need to beat yourself up if you fail!

Gaming

Tides of Annihilation opens first public demo at Gamescom 2026

First hands-on

Published

August 6, 2026

Leez

Tides of Annihilation will make its public playable debut at Gamescom 2026.

Developer Eclipse Glow Games announced that attendees can try an extended demo of the upcoming action-adventure game during the event in Cologne, Germany. Players can find the demo at Hall 6, Booth B-050 inside Koelnmesse.

The studio will also reveal a new trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, before the show floor opens.

Demo offers more exploration and combat

The Gamescom demo gives players a longer look at Tides of Annihilation. It features branching paths that lead to different exploration routes and combat encounters. Players can also explore key locations and experience several of the game’s biggest set pieces.

“Gamescom will be an incredibly important moment for our team since this will be our first global playtest and we’re excited to see how first-time players experience our game,” said Ary Chen, Game Director and Co-CEO of Eclipse Glow Games.

“The team has poured heart, soul, and maybe even a few tears into developing the game over the last few years, and it’s finally our opportunity to share it with players. We’re looking forward to seeing their reaction.”

Members of the press and content creators can also schedule private hands-on sessions with the development team during the event.

Arthurian-inspired adventure

Tides of Annihilation blends fast-paced action with a Neo-Medieval vision of modern London. The story follows Gwendolyn after an Outworld invasion leaves the city in ruins.

Driven by a mission to save her sister, she travels between a shattered London and the mythical realm of Avalon. Along the way, she uncovers the mystery behind her newfound powers. She must also decide the fate of reality itself.

Eclipse Glow Games is developing Tides of Annihilation for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

Gaming

Street Fighter 6 adds first Filipino fighter Yasmine to its roster

Eskrima fighter joins battle

Published

August 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Street Fighter 6 has officially welcomed Yasmine, making history as the first Filipino martial artist to join the franchise’s playable roster. The new character is now available across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 as part of the game’s Year 4 content.

Yasmine practices Eskrima, having learned the Filipino martial art alongside her older brother under their grandfather’s guidance. She wields Karambit knives in battle and embarks on a journey to find her missing brother.

Players can access Yasmine by purchasing the Year 4 Character Pass or Year 4 Ultimate Pass. Her default outfit features traditional Eskrima-inspired combat attire, while a school uniform serves as her second costume. In combat, she specializes in fast, aggressive attacks that build toward an enhanced Bayani Mode.

Yasmine is the first of four Year 4 fighters, followed by Arjun, Tifa from the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, and Bosch. Her release also arrives alongside battle balance adjustments affecting the entire roster.

Onimusha crossover arrives this week

Capcom also announced a limited-time collaboration between Street Fighter 6 and Onimusha. Running from August 7 to August 31, 2026, the event introduces Oni EX character colors, themed Battle Hub decorations, avatar items, and additional rewards for players who log in during the event.

The update also adds new Avatar Arcade courses, additional ending scenes, a Frame Meter option for Avatar Random Match, and refreshed Master ACT rewards.

Philippine launch event set for August 9

Capcom will celebrate Yasmine’s debut with an official Philippine community launch event on Sunday, August 9, at Salud! by Primera Bar & Restaurant in Palanan, Makati. The event runs from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM and features a double-elimination tournament, gameplay showcases, giveaways, and community activities.

Attendees can also receive limited-edition Yasmine merchandise, including event T-shirts, lanyards, and collectible keychains while supplies last. Special guests and cosplayers are also scheduled to appear. Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to venue capacity.

Gaming

Gangstar Mirage City launches on August 20 with SEA localization

Join a faction now for a chance to win rewards

Published

August 5, 2026

GadgetMatch

Gangstar Mirage City is set for a full regional launch on August 20, with localization for the Southeast Asia region.

Published by Level Infinite, the free-to-play multiplayer, urban, open-world action game is available for download on iOS and Android.

The full regional release features an expanded open world, a new PvP Arena mode, and local languages.

In Gangstar Mirage City, players can team up for up to 4-man co-op heists, drive powerful vehicles, customize their arsenal, build an empire, and fight for control of Rooklyn City.

Players can register on gangstarmiragecity.com for in-game rewards.

In Southeast Asia, players can also register as a member of their respective local faction and get an exclusive in-game Avatar to represent their loyalty:

Philippines: Manila Brigade
Indonesia: War Kanda
Malaysia: Taiko Tedung
Thailand: SIAM APEX

Factions will be ranked based on how many players join and support them. The winning faction will enable all members to get 300 Diamonds, sent directly to their accounts.

Meanwhile, all players, including those who already began their journey in Rooklyn City with the soft launch last July, are invited to join the Global Vault Heist.

Reaching the final Registration Milestone will unlock the Full Tilt Vehicle Pack. These are the rewards up for grabs per milestone: