Ninja Gaiden

With Ninja Gaiden for the NES, Tecmo decided to drop the arcade beat-em up style for a more graceful Shinobi feel, and it worked. The seven stages in Ninja Gaiden all are vastly different. Each brings with it great graphics and music. As said previously, the game’s innovative way of storytelling make it monumental. Even if it didn’t have it’s cut-scenes, Ninja Gaiden would still be remembered as one of the greatest games ever to be released on the NES. It’s definitely one of the toughest.

The game was good enough for Tecmo to release two sequels on the NES. Not only that, but Tecmo released all three games in a compilation cart for the SNES. The huge success of the series solidifies it as one of gaming's greatest. It's a must play for anyone who enjoys video games, even those who consider themselves "mainstream."

So be well warned ahead of time – this isn't the kind of game you can pick up and breeze through on your first try. Completing the adventure takes practice and patience, both of which you'll likely be willing to invest given the solid and satisfying fun factor of the core gameplay and, too, given that you'll want to see how the story ends. Getting to the next cutscene, seeing the next piece of the plot, was a motivation not used before Ninja Gaiden in 1989. That novel narrative nature, paired with the high degree of difficulty, made this first Gaiden game a hit. A hit that started Tecmo's most powerful franchise, and a hit that's certainly worth the asking price of 500 Wii Points to re-experience.

The more I play this game, the more it reminds me of Nintendo Batman. The platform, leaping-between-walls gameplay is very similar, but then, seeing as Batman was one of the best NES games of 1990, that can't be a bad thing. Shadow Warrior's graphics aren't quite as stylish as Batman's but they still do a creditable job. The sprites are detailed and well-animated, and the Tecmo Theater interludes help supply a lot of atmosphere. Shadow Warrior is probably the best arcade-style Ninja game on the NES, so anyone after some Shinobi-type shuriken shenanigans can't go wrong buying this.

Jaquio means to take control of the earth. A demon of monstrous proportions will rise from a 700-year slumber and a young man named Ryu Hayabusa wears the burden of their inevitable confrontation on his slight back. His father was killed by someone, or something, under the Jaquio’s deft, devilish influence, and so the letter delineating his mission, his gaiden, becomes two-fold. It even becomes three-fold later on in the proceedings, but to reveal that final theme would be criminal. And so, Ryu’s undertaking must involve both avenging his father’s murder and saving the unsuspecting world from an unspeakable fate.

For the Lynx's first beat 'em up, Ninja Gaiden is little short of superb, and really addictive, too. An excellent title, and one which any self-respecting Lynx owner should race out and shell out for at once.

Overall, this game deserves notice due to its innovative use of cinema scenes and its ability to test even the most seasoned veterans' jumping and slashing skills. The game was immensely popular upon its release, and spawned two sequels and a re-release as part of the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy for SNES years later. I recommend this game for players of intermediate and expert skill levels, although everyone should at least give it a try to test their skills. It's a part of history, and besides... Ryu needs our help!

While Ninja Gaiden rewards gamers that are aggressive, it also forces them to play wisely by punishing those that are too aggressive. Much like a ninja, you must move with care, move with precision, and move with a sense of urgency not found in most modern games. It’s old school gaming in its finest, and most frustratingly satisfying, form.

As a huge fan of the NES games it was fun playing a 2D version I had never seen before. It has a couple of flaws, but if you're an owner of a Master System then Ninja Gaiden should be in your collection. Not only is this a great action game, but it's a completely original Ninja Gaiden game that is well worth your time.

Ninja Gaiden comes to the PC! Same as the 8-bit but with more colors and detail. It feels and plays just like the old 8-bit NES version. I liked that one and I like this one even better...good stuff!

An excellent conversion of an excellent game. Ninja Gaiden hits the mark on all counts. There are lots of good moves and the scrolling is very smooth. Like Warbirds, this shows what the Lynx is capable of, even with its small screen. One of the best Lynx games ever produced.

The question remains, though - is the game worth tracking down? I'd have to say yes. It's an extremely fun game and it's much better than a lot of the Ninja Gaiden games that have been released in the past - in fact, I'd go as far as to say that's it's better than Ninja Gaiden III, which is the worst of the three NES games. Ninja Gaiden fans and action game fans alike will find a lot to like about Ninja Gaiden, as long as they can live with the ugly graphics.

The original Ninja Gaiden on the Atari Lynx is a faithful translation of the arcade game. It's not exactly 2D, but it's really not 3D. You beat up similar looking on coming attackers through several extremely difficult levels. The game sports some fantastic graphics, and is a grade A action game for a system that need was in need of action games. The game plays well, but the arcade game originally offered three buttons. This is hard to get used to, all things considered. But other than that, this is a fantastic effort!

However, the key difference between this masochistically tough game and other masochistically tough games from this time period is that Ninja Gaiden doesn't use its difficulty level as a crutch. The underlying gameplay in Ninja Gaiden is good enough to keep you playing, no matter how many times it punches you in the face with some cheap enemy placement or completely insane boss fight. For those who like their classic games angry and challenging, Ninja Gaiden is one of the better examples of that style of game, because it's hard and it's fun. And ninjas are awesome.

Still, next to Kung Food and Double Dragon, Ninja Gaiden reigns supreme on the Lynx. If your a big fan of the arcade game, this will be your only way of experiencing it at home. Be thankful it turned out like it did (before calling me an idiot, I know nothing about imports so if there is some obscure console with another port of this game, sue me*). This is a must own game for people with the great portable and by far the best beat-em-up on the console.

This game has an awkward look and style that reminds me more of Strider than Ninja Gaiden. That point aside, Ninja Gaiden for the Game Gear is a nice addition to the portables growing list of action carts, but it still comes up short on game play and in some areas, graphics.

Nett, aber nicht weltbewegend: Falls Ihr mit nur vier mittelmäßig langen Levels auskommt, könnte Euch Ninja Gaiden die Zeit bis zum Erscheinen der nächsten offiziellen Shinobi-Version verkürzen.

The background scenery is a mixed bag. The city streets look plain, but later stages like the castle ruins and mine cart tunnels look very cool. Cinematic cut-scenes between stages tell an intriguing (but cheesy) tale of revenge, borrowing elements from more movies than I care to name. Interestingly, this game won an award back in 1989 for "best ending in a video game". Ninja Gaiden also features a kick-ass soundtrack that's sure to get the testosterone flowing. Once you exhaust all of your lives, "Game Over" appears of the screen, but it doesn't tell you your score, and that stinks. From there, you can hit the start button to continue on the current stage. Ninja Gaiden spawned a number of sequels, including a recent 3D version for the Xbox.

Obwohl sich Sega nicht dazu hinreißen lies, neue Ideen auszutüfteln, spiele ich das prügellastige Jump'n'Run ganz gerne. Die ordentliche Grafik sowie die annehmbare akustische Untermalung heben Ninja Gaiden auf Durchschnittsniveau.

Langsam kann ich sie nicht mehr sehen, die "Ninja verhaut die bösen Buben"-Spielchen. Würde der tragbare "Ninja Gaiden" auch nur annähernd so viel Abwechslung bieten wie z.B. der "Game Gear Shinobi" für unterwegs, würde ich mich ja nicht beklagen. Aber die dumpf-dümmliche Dutzendprügelei ist in etwa so spannungsgeladen wie ein Besuch beim Finanzamt. Da nützen auch kleine Feinheiten wie das gewitzte Extrasystem und kleine Geschicklichkeitseinlagen (Ninja hangelt über einen Abgrund) nicht mehr viel. Beinharte Fans fernöstlicher Prügelspiele kommen sicher auf ihre Kosten.