The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (1991). Play online

Summary

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a lively 1‑ or 2‑player action‑adventure for the Super Nintendo that lets you flip between the bumbling ninja Goemon and his sidekick Ebisumaru. Though their swords look different, the characters play the same way, with short‑range attacks that level up by snagging grey cats from defeated foes. Money‑based throwing weapons add a fun resource twist, and you can pick up bombs from shops or win them in the odd mini‑game. Both heroes master four Judo techniques—a ram‑ming animal, a screen‑clear blast, temporary flight, and a rapid‑fire combo—turning combat into a goofy showcase.

Each “Warlock Zone” opens in a bustling town where you trade, train in Judo, and dive into a handful of quirky side games like a Gradius‑style shooter, air‑hockey, and a lucky lottery. After the hustle comes a platforming crawl that culminates in a themed boss fight, then a quick cut‑scene pushes the plot forward. In two‑player mode the second person can clamber on the first’s back, handling attacks while the rider steers and jumps, which magically smoothes the toughest leaps. I always find the mix of shop talk, Judo shows, and ridiculous mini‑games makes it feel more like a carnival than a typical side‑scroller.

Storyline

In The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, you play as Goemon and his sidekick Ebisumaru (Kid Ying and Dr. Yang outside Japan). After strange happenings in their hometown of Oedo—ghostly women at a temple and nocturnal animal spirits—they defeat the Ghost Woman, who reveals herself as Kurobei, a ninja cat, and sends them to find her boss Koban on Shikoku Island. There they battle the Lantern Man, rescue Koban, and learn that Princess Yuki has been kidnapped by the bizarre Otafu Army, a troupe of mimes, clowns, and counterfeiters who have disabled the ninja cats’ shapeshifting tech.

The duo follows clues to Awaji Island’s anachronistic amusement park, then to the town of Yamato, where they infiltrate the Otafu headquarters, defeat its leaders, and free the ninja Yae. She directs them to an Old Wise Man in Iga.

Guarded by clockwork ninja robots, the wise man’s palace yields a cryptic hint: the White Mirror in the Dragon Pond of far‑away Izumo holds the key. Using his "Miracle Transport Machine"—really just a cannon—he shoots Goemon and Ebisumaru to Izumo, where the final quest to rescue Princess Yuki begins.