Ninja Gaiden arrived on the Nintendo Entertainment System in December 1988 in Japan and March 1989 in North America, developed and published by Tecmo, and it did two things at once that no console game had done together. It told a story in anime-style cinematic cutscenes, and it was harder than anything else on the shelf. Both are why it is remembered. Only one of them is fun.
Ryu Hayabusa
Set in a retro-futuristic version of 1988, the game follows Ryu Hayabusa, a ninja who travels to America to avenge his murdered father. There he learns that a figure called the Jaquio plans to unleash an ancient demon using the power contained in two statues. The plot is pulp and it is told with real ambition. The cutscenes between acts, with their close-ups and dramatic cuts, made the game feel like a film in a way that players in 1989 had not experienced.
How It Plays
The gameplay is side-scrolling platform action in the Castlevania mold. Ryu has his katana and a set of secondary weapons, and the game runs six acts across 20 levels. Ryu is fast and precise, he clings to walls, and the controls are sharp enough that every death is your fault. That precision is the game’s great virtue.
The Difficulty
It is also the game’s reputation. Enemies respawn the moment you scroll back, birds knock you into pits, and the later acts demand a memorized route rather than reflexes. Criticism at the time focused on the difficulty, particularly late in the game, and the criticism was fair. The final stretch is a test of patience that a good many players never passed.
Where It Went
The NES release coincided with a beat ’em up arcade game of the same name, and the console version was ported to the PC Engine, the Super NES and mobile phones. It was released in Europe as Shadow Warriors in August 1991. It received extensive coverage and won several awards from gaming magazines, and it started a series that is still running.
Where It Falls Short
The difficulty is not a design so much as a dare. Knockback into pits, blind jumps and enemies placed to punish rather than test make the back half less a game than a gauntlet. The story, ambitious as it is, does not have much to say. And the secondary weapons, which should add variety, are mostly a resource to hoard for the boss.
The Verdict
Ninja Gaiden is a landmark for its cutscenes and its controls, and a legend for its cruelty. It deserves both reputations. Play it for the first three acts. Finish it if you must.
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