The Original Ninja

Though it was just released on the Xbox®, the Ninja Gaiden® series has been around for decades, stretching back to the heyday of arcade cabinets and 8-bit consoles. But just because you weren’t gaming during the early nineties doesn’t mean you can’t experience old-school Ninja Gaiden for yourself. Tecmo included the first three titles as unlockable content for the Xbox version, and they made a special effort to reproduce some of the best features.

The saga begins.

The Story So Far …
The first Ninja Gaiden opens with the death of Ryu’s father, who was killed in a duel with an unknown ninja. As in the Xbox game, the plot is driven by Ryu’s quest for revenge. In this case, Ryu journeys to America to find his father’s killer. Xbox gamers will be somewhat familiar with the plot progression—Ryu battles an army of grunts using his sword, his agility, and his Ninpo magic until he confronts a significantly more powerful boss creature. Defeating the boss clears the level and allows Ryu’s quest to continue, until the surprising revelation of the final boss’s identity.

Everything Old Is New Again
There are many gameplay similarities between the old Ninja Gaiden and the new. The jump slash (known as the Flying Swallow on the Xbox) has always been the most effective attack and is well-suited to both bosses and grunts. In the original titles, Ryu can cling to all walls and climb most of them (if the surface is accommodating), but what sets Ryu’s wall-work apart is his ability to travel up narrow shafts and alley walls by leaping from wall to wall, always moving up. This is called the Flying Bird Flip on the Xbox, but it’s also a key strategy in the original games. It’s a slower process in the original titles, but there are many areas that are completely inaccessible without this maneuver, and certain bosses go down a lot quicker when you use it.

It’s the Flying Bird Flip.

Ninpo and Katana
Ryu’s weapons have also survived the decades. In 2004, he still wields the Dragon Sword and hurls shuriken while leaping over and around his enemies. Unlike the current version, original Ninja Gaiden only has the one melee weapon (sorry, Xbox fans, no Dabilarho), but the older versions do have Ryu’s ninja magic. The Art of the Fire Wheel is the first Ninpo spell you uncover in the Xbox game, but it’s the ultimate magical attack in the firstNinja Gaiden. The spell produces a cluster of fireballs that inflict heavy damage on whoever they strike, bosses and grunts alike.

Some of your basic enemies have also returned. The crazy flying bats are back, nipping off bits of your health bar with each bite, as are evil ninjas and soldiers armed with explosive rockets. It’s quite a trip to be battling 8- and 32-bit versions of the exquisitely rendered foes from the current game, especially when you’re decked out in Ryu’s loose-fitting ninja costume from the first two levels of the Xbox game.

The boss, Barbarian.

Here Comes the Big Boss
Justifiably famous for its endless armies of grunts and challenging platform puzzles, Ninja Gaiden is also renowned for its insanely tough bosses. You won’t be facing the visual splendor of Alma in the Monastery or the overwhelming size of the skeletal dragon, but the original bosses are as difficult as any you’ll find in the modern game. When you face the final demon in the originalNinja Gaiden, you’ll have to cut off his head and destroy his tail before it even begins taking damage … all the while dodging its fireballs.

While videogame technology has vastly improved since 1989, the original Ninja Gaiden games prove that some things are indeed timeless. When you’ve got wicked moves, powerful magic, and some of the toughest and wildest enemies around, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got 8 bits or a dedicated hard drive—Ninja Gaiden sets the standard.

By Nino Mann