The Ninja Warriors (1988). Play online

Summary

The Ninja Warriors still manages to astonish whenever I bump into it on a retro night. Its arcade cabinet was a true show‑stopper: a central monitor flanked by two mirrored screens, giving an uninterrupted widescreen that made the on‑screen brawls feel massive. You play as either the red‑clad android Kunoichi or her blue‑partner Ninja, trading short kunai slashes for occasional shuriken throws as you clear wave after wave of Banglar forces across five stages. The punchy synth soundtrack, crafted by Hisayoshi Ogura and Taito’s Zuntata crew, adds a relentless energy that still feels fresh. Though the original launch was in 1987, the game found a second life in Hamster’s Arcade Archives on PS 4 and Switch, so new players can experience that massive view without the mirror rigs. Critics praised the graphics and the unique screen setup, and it even ranked among Japan’s top arcade earners in 1988 – proof that its style and tight combat still resonate.

Storyline

The arcade classic The Ninja Warriors (often just called Ninja Warriors) drops you into a bleak 1993 America ruled by President Banglar, who has imposed martial law across the nation. A band of renegade scientists led by Mulk can’t take on the military directly, so they build two combat‑ready androids: the red‑clad female Kunoichi and the blue‑clad male Ninja. These robots are programmed to infiltrate the regime and end Banglar’s tyranny.

Each character has a unique set of combos—one performed standing, another while crouching—plus dash attacks, throws, stabs and aerial strikes. A separate special‑energy bar fills as you advance; when it’s full you can unleash a powerful move, but any hit resets the meter, forcing you to build it up again.