Ninja Ryû Ken-den

This is one of my favorite video games of all time as well as video games for the NES as it was one of the first. I was drawn to the game as the ninja is my favorite type of warrior and of course I was a kid in the 80's which at the time had the whole Ninja craze going on and even video games caught on to it and this game was one of them. Really liked that cover art which caught my attention as you saw a ninja in grey, armed with a jitte, and you saw a city in the background on fire, that cover just told you everything like a city is in peril and you're the only one to stop it or you in for some explosive ninja action.

Really like the graphical presentation from the well detailed backgrounds and even the game sprites. Though I really like the designs of the bosses which are great as each of them look menacing and scary which is all the more reason to take them out. Each of them are all different from a Jason Vorhees like boss, two jumping demon creatures, the very final boss that looks like one of the monsters from H.P. Lovecraft lore; shame they never thought of making a toy line based on this game these bosses would make great figures.

The gameplay is solid it's similar to "Castlevania" but is actually a lot faster, where in "Castlevania" you were walking and taking your time, in this game you're running with no time to waste. Really like how once you get from point A to B, how fast the level changes up which makes the game even more challenging as each section is still going from point A to B but differently than before.

The game is on the hard side as it's also a matter of survival, it's like the game was literally designed to kill you, as there are a variety of enemies that constantly come at you, are stationed in all the right and vital places, or simply appear out of nowhere. Some of those enemies are one's that really add to the difficulty, one of course is those damn birds whom I hate so much, those damn things are like homing missiles as they continuously follow you till your dead unless you make them dead first.

Yes, the game is hard but it's fair, like most games on the hard side it's a matter of perseverance. If you practice with the game enough you can get though most to almost all the levels with less problems than before, if you know all of the right places to go, where the obstacles are before they hit, and what to do at the right time.

Your control is basic from a jump to an attack button. Your armed with a katana as it has a medium range of attack which makes it balanced in offense and defense; really like that your attack is based on the quick draw of the katana. You also have secondary weapons which each have different functions like a fire wheel shield that gives you invincibility for a temporary amount of time, fireballs which you discharge diagonally, a red boomerang shuriken that has good stopping power but minimal range and many others that are all useful depending on if they fit the circumstances. Also, each require ammo for use so make sure you collect plenty and use the secondary weapons only when you absolutely need them because they burn out quick.

What truly makes the game unique is that it has an ongoing story as you are progressing though the game. This really was a novel concept at the time because back then video games weren't known for story, like with board games they were known mainly for their game play. But this game was truly different as it had a story with depth and development. I'll admit it really blew me away as I actually was interested and invested in the ongoing story as it actually was well written and inspired really as it's a story of martial arts fantasy which I always think those two genres are a beautiful mix and it makes sense as the 80's was a boom for both genres and there was a big slew of martial arts fantasy films in the 80's like "Zu Warriors of the Magic Mountain", "Big Trouble in Little China", etc.

Really like how well animated the cinematic cut scenes were which made you feel like you were watching a movie or even an onscreen comic book. Seeing these really made me feel that what I did in the game truly mattered, that the stakes were truly high and losing wasn't an option. Also furthered my motivation to continue playing so that I can get to the next act and see what else happens in the story. This is now a common place thing in the video games we have now which all have stories like "Halo", "Red Dead Redemption" etc.

And of course, there is the music which is great as it's probably one of the best video game tracks ever, this game just has plenty of memorable tracks which are all personal favorites of mine and it's not hard to find plenty of remix versions of the tracks that continue to this day. One favorite of mine is of course the first level track which is just excellent, it just sings out fast hard-hitting ninja action, and it's the kind of music that I can listen to whenever I do martial arts workouts or any other aerobic workout.

Ninja Gaiden is a ninjarific classic.

Rating: 4 stars

The original Ninja Gaiden was more of a arcade style beat em up. The one I am referring to, is the NES version. Should I play the other version I shall incorporate it into this review seeing as how one really cannot tell to which game people are referring to. They really need to make it so it can be specified for which platform a review is referring to, because back in the old days games released for different platforms were often totally different gaming experiences...unlike today where you basically get the same game released on multiple platforms.

The NES version of the game was a super fast paced game, that is incredibly difficult to play. You have to have quick reflexes and lots of patience as there are places in the game where enemies seem to respawn infinitely. Suffice to say, the game is not perfect, but it is a fun thrill ride of a game and is the first of a trilogy of NES games that are considered one of the hardest trilogies for the NES. It tops Castlevania, especially since Simon's quest was so easy.

The story has you as a ninja out to find out why his father was killed. During his trip of exploration, he stumbles upon a strange plot revolving around a group of people who wish to resurrect some sort of evil demon using statues of light and dark. It is up to Ken to survive the onslaught of enemies and destroy the organization responsible for the evil plan! The controls are simplistic enough as you control Ken's movements using the directional keys and attack with one button and jump with another. He also has the ability to cling to walls which is cool and at the same time a pain in the rear as this only served to make one of the battles at the end a complete and utter pain as I was having enormous difficulty getting the idiot to stop latching onto the wall when I was trying to hit the boss. You have sub weapons, like in Castlevania, and they are activated in about the same way, by pushing up and attack.

So, the NES version of Ninja Gaiden is a blast, but very difficult. The last level is a nightmare to get beyond and if you do...you have not one, not two, but three final bosses to fight. I have played a bit of the beat em up Ninja Gaiden game, but right now I have not played it enough to offer much of an opinion, other than it was difficult too. It was not very fun as I recall, but perhaps I will be able to play it at some point and be able to comment on it more fully. In the meantime, I can say the NES side scrolling, fast paced, challenging and annoying one is a blast...and a big pain!

It had me hooked the moment I saw the animated introduction at Sun Coast Videos back in the 80s...

...and it turned out to be a real pain in the butt didn't it? It was a seriously challenging game, but that was the 80s when you could make a game hard and frustrating and that only added to the charm, it only made you want to play it more.

It was challenging enough to be addictive and it looked cool enough to be a little boys fantasy game.

There are some good things to be said here. A few points in the game, you get the "ninja-y" feel flipping back and forth between pillars and walls. There's a sword and throwing stars, as well as a storyline to go with the boss fights.

Frustrations are many though, the first and foremost being the "sticking" to walls working off-and-on according to the player's intent, as well as partial or full platform jumping controls not landing reasonably well. There's an intentional delay for jumping, which can be gotten used to, but seems an unnecessary feature compared to responsiveness. Hit detection isn't great, you've gotta hit that sweet-spot and erratic enemies are just plain annoying at times. Boss fights a bit absurd for normal player requirements. With saves and cheats, it becomes a bit more interesting than grinding through the choke-points.

For a ninja, Ryu doesn't seem to be doing much sneaking and assassinating. There's no hand-to-hand martial arts, just sword slinging and 'magic' spamming. I realize this is a beloved classic, did enjoy the first level or two back in the day, but am glad to be through with it to satisfy what the full gameplay and story is like. I'll be filing it on the shelf and moving on to better games.

With new gaming focused more on graphics than anything else is refreshing & rewarding to put again my hands on such a great & precise piece of entertainment, as a kid was even better than cartoons & extremely addictive. (Ok, i admit it videogames are not good for children or sane people, when you get so deep into them you end up alienated from other people, but who cares, at the end life's to enjoy isn't it?) This game along other classics i will recommend at the end of this posts are even soft in violent content as new videogames like 3d shooters. There's even a new version of Ninja Gaiden i regret (xbox, playstation 2) it will never be like the old one, NEVER EVER! I dare to say that the original ninja gaiden has even better music! KILLER soundtrack!!!!

Cool oldie Nintendo games:

Castlevania (the trilogy for nes) Contra & Super C Megaman (All the 6!!!! & #2 was a favorite) Metal Gear & Snake's revenge. (play also the playstation one, is one of the best translations from old to new videogaming ever)