Shinobi: Art of Vengeance hits Switch 2 on September 24, but the current version is already showing its age

p>Sega and Lizardcube have set the date: *SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance* will arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 on September 24—exactly one year after the game's debut on PS5, Xbox, Switch, and PC in August 2025. This isn't just a simple port in a new box; the physical Deluxe Edition includes the "SEGA Villains Stage" DLC, a physical artbook, translucent character cards, the "Ghost" outfit, and the "Medic Lite" amulet, alongside 2,000 in-game coins and the digital content already included in the standard version.It is priced at $29.99, with pre-orders already open on the eShop.

It is worth explaining why this date matters more than usual.The game currently runs on Switch 2, but only via backward compatibility with the original Switch version—and recent reviews haven't been kind: unoptimized resolution, jagged textures, and noticeable frame-rate drops in the Mountain Factory stage whenever the camera pulls back to reveal busy backgrounds.September 24 should finally bring a release designed specifically for the new hardware, rather than one merely running on top of it.

That said, the game itself remains one of the best-crafted action-platformers of the past year: Joe Musashi returns seeking vengeance after his village is burned down, facing off against massive bosses amidst a watercolor-style visual filter—elements that TechRadar and Rolling Stone have praised without reservation.If the technical issues on Switch 2 are indeed resolved on the 24th, this could become the best of the five available versions, not just the latest one to arrive.