From Sega’s Shinobi series to Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden trilogy, Dark Nation takes a look at some of the best ninja video games in existence across multiple consoles and older computer systems.
We present to you the following list of 12 of great games in no particular order position.
1. The Last Ninja:
First up, we recommend the Commodore 64 version of The Last Ninja from System 3. The first Ninja game of its kind and still a banger to this day. A more modern version of the game is also available on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
2. Shinobi:
Next up is the original arcade game Shinobi from Sega. Besides the brilliant arcade machine, the game was excellently ported over to the Sega Master System home console as well. A brilliant game that should be played by all retro fans.
3. Shadow Warriors aka Ninja Gaiden:
The 1988 arcade game Shadow Warriors, known as Ninja Gaiden in the United States, is our next choice in our recommended best ninja video games to play. If you love a good arcade-style beat ’em up, you should definitely track down a decent Mame emulator and rom to enjoy a good play-through of this classic basher.
4. Ninja Warriors:
Now we come to Ninja Warriors, a fantastic arcade side-scrolling beat ’em up from the folks over at Taito. If you enjoy the original arcade version of Shadow Warriors aka Ninja Gaiden, then Taito’s Ninja Warriors will probably impress most fans of those games as well as it has a very similar vibe and gameplay style. The game was also ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, PC Engine, and Sega Mega-CD.
5. Ninja Scooter Simulator:
For something a little more bizarre in terms of its idea and playability, Ninja Scooter Simulator is that game. Old-school computer fans will likely remember this little gem from 1988 on the Spectrum and Commodore 64. We highly recommend you give this unique game a play.
6. Revenge of Shinobi:
As mentioned in our best Shinobi game article,Revenge of Shinobion the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis console is our top choice in Sega’s iconic video game series. Check out the linked article to find out why it’s our favourite in the series.
7. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master:
Sega’s Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master doesn’t get enough love so that’s our next recommendation for your gaming pleasure. The only game in the Shinobi series to feature our hero riding a horse while doing battle with Neo Zeed’s syndicate. Give it a whirl for sure.
8. Shinobi X:
While we’re still on the topic of Shinobi games, it wouldn’t be a proper list without the inclusion of Shinobi X for the beloved Sega Saturn console. Shinobi X modernizes the series with effective digitized graphics and a brilliant CD-quality soundtrack to boot.
9. Saboteur:
A real treat at the time for ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 users. In Saboteur, players must guide a Ninja around a giant warehouse to find and retrieve a floppy disk. It’s one of the very first stealth video games of its style, and unquestionably one of the very best of the bunch.
10. Ninja Gaiden:
11. Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja:
12. Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance:
Last but not least, we come to the Nintendo NES version of Ninja Gaiden. Right off the bat, we are dropped straight into the action, running and leaping around the screen to defeat oncoming enemies while using a katana sword and throwing stars.
We hope you enjoyed this article, and if you have any other titles in mind that we could add to our best ninja video games recommendations, you can let us know by posting a comment down in the Dark Nation community section brlow.
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