Kung-Fu Fridays: Ninja Gaiden SMS

Whats up buddies. Dan Ryan right here, you… there. Thanks a lot for checking in and if you happen to like what you see please remark and share. A very long time in the past on an internet site far, distant, Geekade if you happen to’re curious, I wrote a column in the course of the summer season months referred to as Kung-Fu Fridays. The purpose with these posts was to focus on a martial arts, learn Kung-Fu/Ninja/Karate/and so on., film, online game, or generally each on the identical time. My love for martial arts media is limitless. It has been a serious a part of my pop-culture id since I used to be a little bit child and now, as an grownup, it has solely grown. So it’s in that spirit that I convey this new model to you, the reader. And for the primary put up on this new sequence I figured it was solely applicable to have fun the discharge, digitally anyway on 08/01/25, of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound by trying again to one in every of my favourite ninja themed video games, Ninja Gaiden for the SEGA Grasp System. As for ranking the video games every month I will likely be utilizing the wholly authentic, not copied in any respect from any defunct gaming journal, SAG Pod rating system, which is defined beneath.

Developed by SIMS and revealed by SEGA in 1992, Ninja Gaiden was solely launched to Europe and different PAL territories. On the time of its launch help for the Grasp System was completed in Japan and North America attributable to a mixture of poor efficiency and a shift to the extra highly effective Genesis/Mega Drive. Nevertheless, in Europe and Brazil notably, the Grasp System was nonetheless going robust. (and nonetheless is right now in Brazil!) As such it made sense to convey Ninja Gaiden to the Grasp System. And whereas some might have been anticipating ports of the NES trilogy, what they bought as an alternative was a completely authentic sport and a reasonably rattling good one at that. (and the one one on the time to be referred to as Ninja Gaiden versus the PAL moniker Shadow Warriors) The plot sees sequence star Ryu Hayabusa return to his house, Dragon Village, to search out everybody there lifeless minus one lone survivor hanging on to ship a message; the Bushido Scroll has been taken by the Shogun of Darkness. Ryu instantly begins a journey of bloody revenge taking down the Shogun’s minions and foot troopers on his technique to a closing showdown with the Shogun of Darkness himself. Alongside the best way Ryu hacks and slashes his manner by way of a reasonably conventional ninja themed platformer full with many of the expertise you’d count on as a veteran of the sequence and some you wouldn’t, like wall leaping and hand over hand climbing from ledges. General, Ninja Gaiden on the Grasp System is an excellent sport that’s properly value your time.

Graphics: 4 Ninja Gaiden is without doubt one of the greatest trying Grasp Methods video games ever launched. The sprites are good and massive and animate very properly. Backgrounds are detailed and supply a way of depth. Weapons look cool. Bosses are detailed and imposing. IMO this seems higher than any of the NES video games if solely simply.

Sound: 3 The music right here is fairly good however the general sound bundle is a bit missing for my part. Whereas the tracks for every stage are catchy, they by no means actually stick to me, regardless of what number of instances I’ve performed by way of this one. The sound results are tremendous however nothing particular. You’ll be able to hear your sword however that’s about the one factor that stands proud. There was undoubtedly room for enchancment within the sound division.

Management: 4 The management on this sport is superb. Every part feels actually clean and Ryu does what you need him to do. Wall leaping is simple to do efficiently and the hand over hand climbing mechanic is a welcome, straightforward to manage addition to Ryu’s arsenal. The one knock right here is the slipperiness in a number of the phases that comes off a bit too unforgiving.

Enjoyable Issue: 4 When you like motion video games, you’ll have a superb time with Ninja Gaiden. The caveat right here is that you just can’t count on to play NES Ninja Gaiden whenever you fireplace this up. They’re totally different video games and really feel totally different to play. The problem is excessive however not unimaginable particularly with save states on fashionable gadgets. It’s a brief expertise however one that’s value replaying.  

However I need to know what you assume. Be a part of the Stone Age Gamer discord, or yow will discover me on Bluesky to let me know your ideas. Within the immortal phrases of Billy Joel, “Life is a sequence of hellos and goodbyes; I am afraid it is time for goodbye once more.” See you quickly.