1UP writes: "It's funny--despite desperate pleas and fan petitions on their behalf, many of the most sought-after retro gaming revivals (Kid Icarus, Final Fantasy VII) remain dead and buried, while others, such as this DS sequel to 1984's The Legend of Kage, suddenly arrive without warning. And, oddly enough, Kage 2 doesn't seem all that concerned with paying homage to its original source material. Fans hoping for the same treetop shuriken flurries of the arcade hit may be surprised to find a game that feels more like a decent Shinobi reboot.
At the game's outset, you select either titular ninja Kage or his sultry companion Chihiro (she fights with a chain and scythe) and set in for several hours of old-fashioned, side-scrolling jump-n-slash action. Veteran gamers will immediately wax nostalgic to the colorful sprite artwork and synthetic chiptune music, even if it's something of a faux relic--Kage 2 almost seems like some lost Super Nintendo (or even NeoGeo) game, not a product birthed of the modern world. The audiovisual trappings aren't completely antiquated, but when held up against the likes of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, Kage's lack of snazzy graphical effects and voiceovers disappoints."
