So you think you’ve mastered them all aye? You’ve beat the likes of Castlevania, Battletoads, Contra, Ghosts n’ Goblins, and countless others in the NES library and you are set before you the final challenge: NINJA GAIDEN. Since its release, this game has been noted as one of the most unfair, unforgiving, and downright difficult games ever made. Despite its ridiculous difficulty, it’s one of the best titles for the NES and a must have for anyone who likes platformers. Along with its difficulty, the game had eye popping visuals, great music, and addictive gameplay. It had it all. So let’s get started. Such a huge game and so little time.


Graphics - 9


One of the game’s biggest highlights at the time was its revolutionary cutscenes. Very few games had cutscenes at all let alone cutscenes this good. The game uses elements of action, film noire, and even anime. The characters all look great although the game’s antagonist ,Jaquio, looks a little odd. Not only are the cutscenes superb but the stages, enemies, and bosses which you see are also well done. The stages are all different and none show any resemblance to each other whatsoever. The enemies are also pretty cool and fit the game’s theme rather well. But by far, the best looking game sprites are the bosses. Each have their own unique look and grow more and more difficult as you traverse through the game. With all that this game has going, I give it a solid 9/10 in the graphics department.


Sound - 8


Along with good graphics comes the game’s sound. And for what it is, the music and overall sound is also well done. Rather than be annoying and repetitive like most games for the NES, Ninja Gaiden’s soundtrack is among one of the best in the NES along with games like Silver Surfer and Castlevania. Each stage has it’s own theme although some stages do repeat older level themes. The sound effects are also satisfying to listen. Slashing enemies are so enjoyable and hearing bosses explode into balls of flames is a bittersweet feeling. A nice touch that TECMO added is that whenever Ryu lands on a platform or clings to a wall, you hear a distinct thud. Never does a theme or sound feel out of place during the game. With that said, I give this game an 8/10 for its sound.


Addictiveness - 8


Like most games for the NES, Ninja Gaiden is very addictive and will leave you coming back for more. Of course it wards off potential gamers with its difficulty but on the contrary, the difficulty is the reason why many gamers come back and play. You get frustrated at dying constantly to the point where enjoyment doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that you can sleep tonight knowing that you were able to make it farther in a level or beat that once impossible boss than you did the previous session. You try to meet the game’s demands…. only to get punished some more. It’s a cycle: you die and rather than just giving up, you persevere regardless of whether you get better or not. Being able to say “I BEAT NINJA GAIDEN ON NES!” is already enough to make most gamers stick around. And it’s not like you get a limited amount of continues and have to start from the beginning once you lose all three lives. The game has unlimited continues and always starts at the beginning of the level you died in so there’s no excuse for you to shut off your NES. Finally, after enough patience, countless game overs, and many sleepless nights, you find your hard work finally paying off as you enter new levels, face new bosses, and slowly master the game mechanics. Needless to say, this game deserves a nice 8/10 for it’s addictiveness.


Story - 7


Alright. So the story is that 2 ninjas set out for a duel one night. One ninja would end up victorious while the other died as a result. We cut to the son of the man who died in the duel, Ryu Hayabusa as he reads a letter from his father Ken (Yes Ryu and Ken, obvious Streetfighter reference. Moving on). In the letter, Ken instructs Ryu to leave the big city and find his lifelong friend, an archeologist named Walter Smith. Unfortunately, after fending off a massive demon at a seedy bar, Ryu ends up knocked unconscious by a CIA agent named Irene Lew. When he wakes from his sleep, she gives him a bizarre statue and tells him to keep it with him at all times. When he questions her, she ignores him and vanishes without a trace. Ryu continues his journey until he finally contacts Walter Smith. At Walter’s house, he tells Ryu that the statue he possesses is one of two twin statues that, when united with one another, awaken an all powerful demon that will bring chaos and destruction to the world. As they discuss about the possibilities of such a vision, a ninja comes, steals the statue Irene gave to Ryu and sets off. Ryu runs after the ninja and when he returns with the statue he finds Walter dying after an encounter with a demon. Before he can do anything, CIA agents come and abduct Ryu. At CIA headquarters, they instruct Ryu that a demon sorceror named Jaquio is after the demon statues and that he is the only one who can stand a chance against Jaquio and his demon army. Ryu, determined as ever, sets off after Jaquio. Now THAT’S what you call a plot. None of this “save the princess” garbage. No wonder I never skip the cutscenes (other than they look really good). I give this story a 7/10 for its unique premise.


Depth - 8


This game has a lot to offer other than fast paced gameplay, stunning visuals, and impressive sound. For starters, you get all these secondary weapons and upgrades as you venture from level to level. Depending on your enemies and bosses, some weapons do more damage than others. You have a variety of weapons to choose from. Shuriken, Windmill shuriken, Fire jutsu, and countless others. Not only do you have all these secondary weapons, but you also have a wide variety of common enemies to slay. There’s your common thugs who walk slower than molasses, your fast moving four legged monstrosities, your aerial projectiles, and countless other varieties of enemies. Because of this, and the curiosity to see the rest of story, you are far from bored and feel as if you really are out on an adventure in search for the demon statues and for the final battle against Jaquio. Because of this, I give this game a solid 8/10.

Difficulty - 10


Along being one of the first games to have cutscenes, Ninja Gaiden has been remembered by gamers for its relentless difficulty and unforgiving standards. It is without a doubt one of the most difficult games on the NES. It may also be one of the most difficult games ever made. The reason behind all this attention? Two flaws. Two flaws that work against the game’s enjoyability and can sometimes make your experience a chore rather than a pleasure. Now you may say “Two flaws? Pfft. That’s bull! Two flaws can’t upscale the difficulty of a game.” But just you wait and see how these flaws go beyond your wildest nightmares. Here we go. Flaw #1: If you kill any enemy at the very edge of the screen, they will respawn INFINITELY. This is a serious issue as you end up losing ammunition for your secondary weapons trying to kill these respawning enemies. Not to mention, it throws your concentration away as you try to kill this enemy while 3 or 4 others are trying to hit you. Which brings us to Flaw #2: If an enemy hits you, you jump back. Ninja Gaiden seems to suffer from Castlevania syndrome where you end up falling back after contact with an enemy or projectile. And this happens in the worst scenarios as well. Trust me when I say that you will die a lot more by enemies hitting you causing you to fall into a pit rather than by taking too many hits. It doesn’t matter where you happen to be. If you end up hit by an enemy it seems that you will gravitate to the nearest pit and die. These flaws severely handicap the player to the point where it’s almost physically impossible to complete some of the later stages. Because of the these flaws, I give this game a whole 10/10 for its difficulty.


Overall - 8.3/10

Despite being known for its relentless difficulty and unfair standards, Ninja Gaiden is considered by many to be one of the best games for the NES. And to be honest, it’s not hard to realize why. Ninja Gaiden was such a success that it spawned two more sequels for the NES: Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. The sequels continued with cutscene elements and relentless difficulty. Overall Ninja Gaiden was a significant title for the NES at the time as it helped pioneer the use of cutscenes in a game. It’s also a game that leaves a lasting impression as one of the most enjoyable and downright difficult games ever made for a console. My overall score is an 8.3 out of 10. This game is a must have for any NES collector seeking for a good challenge. If you want a game that frustrates you to try new lengths and tricks than this is for you. Hope you get the chance to try it out yourself and see what you think about it.

Great review!
 I agree, Jaquio was a weird looking dude.

yeah cool review. I can tell you're good at this. I agree Ninja Gaiden's one of the best NES games.

This is a great review and all point are hit. I also like the way it was layed out. My next review I'll steal this lay out. I also loved your opening almost daring people to p[lay the game. I myself found the game way to hard. And wimped out on playing it.

rebelyell : I'm surprised that this review influenced you let alone anyone. I appreciate everyone who took the time to read it. Thanks for your reply as even the smallest compliment can mean a lot. Happy Gaming!

I honestly don't find the Original Ninja Gaiden to be overly difficult. Certainly not more difficult than 2player Battletoads or Silver Surfer. It is difficult at times, but growing up during these times, you were just used to the difficulty in games. That's how games back then provided replay value. When you grew up with Games like Megaman, Metroid, Castlevania, etc you just expected the challenge. Heck, you WANTED the challenge. That's what's been keeping us coming back for more all these years later.

I have one fond/funny memory of hanging out with my best friend one day when we were in middle school. Watching his oldest brother trying to play this game and watching him die on the same bat like 10 times in a row. Needless to say my friend started busting out laughing, which his older brother didn't appreciate...and hilarity ensued.

Now Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3? Those games are WAY harder than this game lol.

Great job on the review. BTW. I enjoyed reading it. Keep up the great work.

Wow, your review seems to be that of at least a PSX game. It's highly detailed, it's well-structured and you show why this game is considered so difficult. I might even give it a try