Tenchu: Dark Secret (2006). Play online

Summary

Tenchu: Dark Secret drops you into the role of rival ninja assassins, Rikimaru and Ayame, each tasked with safeguarding a princess. The DS version expands the classic stealth formula with more than 40 single‑player missions, letting you silently stalk enemies with a katana, rig explosive traps, or customize a small arsenal of ninja gadgets. What really catches my eye is the local wireless multiplayer, where you can duel friends or trade gear via the Wi‑Fi channel—a novel touch for a series that had never before graced a handheld. Polygon Magic’s first DS venture also shied away from the series’ usual Mature rating, aiming for a slightly broader audience, though the graphics stay firmly in a low‑poly, 3D‑ish style. Even with its mixed reception, the game offers a tidy slice of stealth action for anyone hungry for ninja drama on the go.

Storyline

In Tenchu: Dark Secret, two years after the Burning Dawn crisis, Azuma Clan ninja Rikimaru and Ayame arrive in Saiga, a frontier village on Lord Gohda’s northern border. They find Princess Shizu, wife of Lord Kagemasa of Hakkaku, wounded by an arrow during a bandit raid and escort her to safety. Gohda orders them to hide her disappearance and protect the village from Hakkaku’s looming attack.

Rikimaru and Ayame fend off relentless bandits, discovering the leader is the former Toda general Akunosuke Murai and defeating him. Hakkaku’s samurai, ninja and undead forces then assault Saiga, sparking a war between Gohda‑Akama allies and Hakkaku. The duo later slays Kurokaze, leader of the Furai ninja clan, and learns Princess Shizu is pregnant and possessed by a demonic entity.

They track a dark castle that rises from the fog, break the ritual, and kill the demon‑possessed Lord Hakkaku. Using the Azuma Clan’s ancestral blade Izayoi they exorcise the evil from Shizu, who survives and returns to her father. The three survivors escape as the castle collapses, ending the nightmare.