Ninja Gaiden | NES | Emulated | Android | RetroArch

Ninja Gaiden, released in 1989 for the NES, is an action-platformer by Tecmo that rewrote what players expected from 8-bit games. You control Ryu Hayabusa, a ninja on a mission to uncover the truth behind his father's death—and save the world from a dark, supernatural threat.

What set Ninja Gaiden apart was its combination of:

🗡️ High-speed swordplay and wall-jumping ninja acrobatics

🎬 Cinematic cutscenes (unheard of at the time) that drove a gripping story

🧠 Insane challenge—from brutal enemy placement to minimal checkpoints

🌀 Special ninja arts, like fire wheels and shurikens

🏯 Six acts, with multiple stages each, featuring diverse environments and tough bosses

📼 An unforgettable soundtrack, with tension and mood built into every track

Ninja Gaiden didn’t just play hard—it looked and felt like a serious story-driven experience, elevating the NES platformer to something more epic and dramatic.

This video includes the legendary intro cutscene, early-stage gameplay, and showcases the smooth-yet-unforgiving pace that made Ninja Gaiden a cornerstone of NES difficulty and design.