The ’80s and ’90s arcade hero Jajamaru, a ninja from Ninja Jajamaru (1985) is making a comeback in 2027. Earlier today, Clear River Games came to various social media platforms to release an announcement trailer for the newest addition to the Ninja Jajamaru lineup. This game is titled Ninja Jajamaru: Yokai Night Parade, and is a “yokai-filled hack-and-slash action game” that draws heavily from 90s pop culture. For newer fans who may be unsure of what yokai are, they exist in Japanese folklore as a “class of supernatural entities and spirits.” They can be annoying, instagative, or even helpful, and include “vast range of beings, including shapeshifters, ghosts, demons, and tricksters.”

Taking on the role of Jajamaru, players are tasked with “searching for the kidnapped Princess Sakura.” While looking,  “JaJaMaru strays into an otherworldly dungeon.” This dungeon contains a “Yokai Night Parade party where hordes of yokai are dancing and partying away.” This partying, however, is bad. The dungeon is home to powerful equipment that may help players on their quest, so long as they are able to “defeat wave after wave of incoming yokai” while exploring.

The character is not the only throwback to early arcade era video games. While Ninja Jajamaru: Yokai Night Parade is not the franchise’s first modern remake, it is the first one to bring back the hack-and-slash mechanic and specifically mention the 90s in the trailer. The art features 3D type backgrounds, but pixelated, 8-bit characters.