Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom brings the NES hero back for a third mission, and the game that results is harder and stranger than the two that came before it. The story scenes that lovers of the series expect are still present, still telling more story than most NES games attempt. But the choices made in level design will test even a patient player.
What The Game Takes Away
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom changes how players get through its stages compared with the earlier games. The way players once moved up and along walls in those games feels changed here, and players who relied on that kind of freedom to escape tight spots will find far fewer ways out this time. Players can no longer move up and cling to walls the way they did before, which closes off many of the ways out those earlier games allowed.
That one change alters how every stage plays from start to finish.
How Hard Is It
The game asks a great deal of the player. Enemies are set closer together, and a single mistake can cost dearly. Checkpoints and continues do not always ease the blow, so a run can end fast and without warning.
This is not a gentle rise in difficulty. It feels closer to a wall.
The Story Still Carries Weight
Whatever trouble the level design causes, Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom keeps the same story ambition that set the series apart on NES. The story scenes push events forward with more force than most action games of the time attempted, and they remain a chief reason players return to it. The hero’s path feels like it matters, scene to scene, even when the parts between those scenes grow hard to bear.
Sound And Look Hold Up
The look and sound remain a strong point. Enemy designs, stage art and boss art carry the same care shown in the earlier games. The music keeps pace with the action, giving the harder parts a sense of urgency rather than simple annoyance.
Where It Stands Among The Others, And The Hard Numbers
Looking at the three NES games together, here is how this reviewer would rank them, though this is a matter of judgment rather than settled fact:
- Ninja Gaiden II, the second game in the set — in this reviewer’s view the best of the three, balancing hard play with fairness.
- Ninja Gaiden (NES) — the first game, and in this reviewer’s view the one that set the model for action games built around story on the console.
- Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom — the hardest of the three, and the one players argue over most.
Key numbers behind this review:
– Title: Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
– Platform: NES
– Series position: Third game in the NES Ninja Gaiden set
– Key change: Moving up and along walls plays in a changed way compared with earlier games
– Rating given by IMDb: 7.3 out of 10
The Hero’s Last Stand On NES
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom is a game torn between big goals and a hard cost for every error. The story scenes remain some of the strongest on the NES, and the look and sound never let up. But the changes to how players get across stages, along with the raised difficulty, make it a harder game to recommend than the first two in the set.
Those who loved the hero’s earlier trips may still find much to like here, so long as they are ready for a harder fight than before. Those new to the series would do better to start with an earlier game first.
Rating given by IMDb: 7.3 of 10.
