While they’ve had quite a bit of success in this generation, there’s no question that there’s some risk when making throwback titles that emulate earlier console eras. Whether the issue is with styles of play or elements that have aged poorly, or the games lacking in enough modern sensibilities to feel at all fresh in some way, there’s no question that with so many titles already in the space there has to be something notable to help the experience feel worthwhile.

While Ninja 1987 gets some elements right, namely the music and some aspects of its play, it also struggles to be particularly noteworthy. Its character sprites are pretty generic, your variety of attack options is somewhat limited, and most of its stage design at best feels like something you’ve seen too many times before already. Yes, I can say that playing it there’s a certain sense of nostalgia for games from decades gone by, but more in the vein of games I rented or borrowed from a friend and got bored with, not ones that remotely felt memorable.

Whether in the form of more premium indies like The Messenger that are amazing, or even more similarly humble indies like Ten or even Elena Temple, there are absolutely games out there in this space that have pulled off making more humble titles in their looks and play work. Whether in the form of surprising stage design, well-balanced challenges, or just having a bit of flair that feels fresh, they managed to do quite a lot with only a little. This just feels like it satisfies a modest checklist of elements you’d expect, but fails to make any of it particularly noteworthy in a crowded space.