In the realm of high-quality stealth games, few can compare to Mark of the Ninja Remastered, especially when it comes to 2D stealth. I was bummed to discover that Mark of the Ninja’s Switch port doesn’t allow you to remap the controls, but such was also the case in the original version so, again, I can’t really fault Klei on that one. It’s a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things, and it likely won’t be an issue at all for players who are already used to the Switch’s unconventional button layout, but it’s still one worth mentioning.
On many occasions my muscle memory would betray me, leading me to accidently throw out a ninja tool (and often reveal my position in the process) by pressing X when I meant to initiate a stealth kill with Y. If you’re used to, say, an Xbox One or Xbox 360 controller where Y is on top and X is to the left, this can naturally lead to some problems. For those who don’t know, the Switch’s alphabetical face buttons are mapped so that X is on the top and Y is to the left.
If there was one criticism I would level at Mark of the Ninja on Nintendo Switch, it’s one which actually applies more towards the console than the game. Also, beating the level unlocks Dosan for use in the main game, allowing players to challenge themselves further if they wish. The Dosan’s Tale level itself isn’t much longer than the average length of the main game’s levels, but it still provides plenty of opportunities for players to put Dosan’s unique skills to the test. Along with familiar ninja tools like darts and the grappling hook, Dosan also has a few unique tricks such as Dusk Moths which can disable foes from a distance and a Fungal Spores trap that can eliminate multiple enemies in close proximity.
Unlike the main game’s ninja, Dosan doesn’t use a sword, instead relying on non-lethal stealth takedowns and other martial arts moves to incapacitate his opponents. The level functions as a prequel to the main game’s events, casting players as a younger version of the elderly NPC Dosan as he works to secure the tattoo ink which will one day give the main game’s protagonist his powers. The one major gameplay addition in Mark of the Ninja Remastered is a brand new optional level called Dosan’s Tale. However, it’s still nice to see that Klei ensured the game would run silky smooth even when playing on the go. Granted, Mark of the Ninja’s high-quality presentation isn’t very surprising given how little stress its 2D graphics put on a given platform.
Mark of the ninja remastered length portable#
Speaking of which, the entire base game experience can be played on the Switch in portable mode with flawless execution. Klei even took the time to reanimate many of the cinematics, adding in new visual and plot details which better help to convey the game’s story. The character sprites, background art, and cinematics have all been touched up as well. Klei went back and upped the game’s resolution to make it look less compressed and ensure it is fully 4K HD compatible. Most of the upgrades included in Mark of the Ninja Remastered are of the visual sort.
Mark of the ninja remastered length upgrade#
The remastered upgrade admittedly doesn’t add much in the way of tangible new content, but it does at least make Mark of the Ninja worth revisiting, especially if you haven’t played it since its 2012 debut. Having now played the Nintendo Switch version of Mark of the Ninja Remastered, I can say with confidence that it’s an excellent port of an already excellent game. When I heard the game was getting a remastered upgrade, I was naturally excited, especially when developer Klei Entertainment announced the remastered edition would be coming to the Nintendo Switch console. Mark of the Ninja’s high-quality 2D stealth gameplay captivated me when the game originally launched way back in 2012.
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