Ninja Gaiden (1988). Play online

Summary

Ninja Gaiden, known as Shadow Warriors in Europe, lands in the arcade as a fast‑paced beat‑'em‑up set against stylized U.S. landmarks. Two players choose a blue or orange ninja and can punch, jump, climb overhead bars, or grab a secret sword that lasts ten strikes. The combo system lets you chain a Triple Blow, Flying Neck Throw, Hang Kick and the wall‑run Phoenix Backflip, turning enemies into loot for extra lives or health.

Stage bosses range from a sumo wrestler and the tag‑team Daor Warriors to the clawed Men from Nanto, ending with the fire‑breathing twin‑sworded Bladedamus. The frantic two‑player mode amplifies the mayhem as you swing from tightropes to wreck phones and dumpsters for hidden bonuses.

The coin‑op was the top‑grossing arcade conversion kit of 1989 in the United States and later resurfaced as a hidden game in Ninja Gaiden Black and via Wii Virtual Console and Arcade Archives ports. Critics lauded its smooth graphics, deep move list and endless action, calling it a standout conversion that still feels fresh.

Storyline

In Ninja Gaiden (Arcade) you step into the shoes of a lone ninja recruited by the United States government. Your mission is to stop an apocalyptic cult led by the mysterious Bladedamus, a direct descendant of Nostradamus who is determined to fulfill his grim prophecies. The villain has unleashed a wave of criminals from Alcatraz, flooding city streets and sowing chaos across the nation. To make matters worse, Bladedamus has kidnapped the President and stolen the launch codes for the country’s ICBM arsenal. The ninja must battle through the mayhem, dismantle the cult’s operations, rescue the President, and prevent a nuclear catastrophe.