Ninja Gaiden -NES- 9

September 19, 2024

Ninja Gaiden released for the NES in 1989, and is famous for its story cinematics, sharp controls, and brutal difficulty. This game pushes you to hone your ninja skills and punishes you for slightest error in judgment. I never played Ninja Gaiden as a kid, but I heard about it from friends and watched other people play and talk about it over the years. So I wanted to finally play it now and see what all the fuss was about. I started practicing sporadically this past month, and I finally conquered the final boss this morning.

Ninja Gaiden follows Ryu Hayabusa, a young ninja who seeks revenge for his father’s death, while getting involved in plot surrounding stolen artifacts that will wake up a demon that’s been asleep for 700 years. The story is told through flashy cutscenes that were impressive for their time. But the main draw of Ninja Gaiden is the swordplay, the tight platforming, and earning the bragging rights to say that you have conquered this absolute beast. Ninja Gaiden is one of the hardest games from the depths of the NES library. The relentless challenge never lets up with wicked enemy placement, respawning foes, and vicious knockback. This game demands speed and memorization for you to perform the perfect symphony of ninja skills. There are six lengthy stages, each becoming progressively harder, forcing you to fight numerous swarms of enemies and perform perilous feats of platforming. Thankfully, you are blessed with unlimited continues. So with enough practice and perseverance, you will eventually master the way of the ninja.

However, nothing in stages 1 through 6 can compare to the soul-crushing difficulty of the final trio of bosses at the end of the game. If you lose to any of them, they send you all the way back to beginning of Stage 6-1. After failing many times in past attempts from a month of intermittent practice, I made it the final boss once again this morning. The first round with the Masked Devil is a bit tricky, but the second round with Jaquio has to be one of hardest boss battles I’ve ever faught. And I did it without using the spinslash — only my trusty sword. Patience is key, but the time limit forces you to keep pace with Jaquio’s tight window of timing to strike. I was so relieved when I beat him with one bar of health to spare. The third and final boss, the Awoken Demon was next. Thankfully, your health gets refilled after each of the three final fights. So in this fight, I stayed aggressive and easily defeated him without getting hit too many times.

Beating Ninja Gaiden on the authentic NES cart was a huge accomplishment. The overwhelming mobs of enemies, rigorous parkour, and epic boss battles made conquering this one a noteworthy notch on the belt. The precise controls, fast paced gameplay, varied environments, and energetic soundtrack made it a blast to keep playing this classic over and over until I reached the end. I rate Ninja Gaiden a 9 out of ten.