Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

An extreme exercise in nostalgia, which works perfectly at transmitting "retro feels". It needs some polishing on the controls side, though.

After every punishing stage I finished in Oniken, I felt completely drained; my nerves shot. I would force myself to take a break, jumping into a less emotionally taxing game before heading back. That feeling clearly won’t be for everyone and the game’s over-the-top violence will definitely scare off some gamers. However, the personal satisfaction that comes from finishing each of the game’s stages cannot be overstated. Oniken: Unstoppable Edition is meant for a certain kind of NES fan; those that revel in that sort of old-school challenge will find little else like it on Switch.

With Oniken, what you see is what you get, and your first impression of the game is probably spot on. If you miss your friendly, Tecmo ninja man, you might want to give this one a look. For everyone else, leave this one in 20XX.

Oniken does a few things right, but flounders when it comes to the most important parts of the experience. The visuals and audio of the game are a faithful and accurate tribute to the style of classic NES action games, sure. All of the artistic flair in the world can't help a game that simply isn't fun to play, though. Action in Oniken is consistently stiff and frustrating, and while boss encounters can provide brief moments of gratifying gameplay, only the most dedicated of action platformer fans will have the patience to reach those encounters.