Ninja Gaiden (1988)

Birds are the enemy, rewind is your only ally

I’m all about the 3D Ninja Gaiden games — the fluid combat and freedom of movement just feel better. But going back to the original is a trip, showing me how much it achieved with so little. It’s brutal, but it’s cool to see where it all began, even if I’d rather dodge birds in 3D.

Ninja Gaiden is a series that’s been going on for some time now. The original NES game from 1988 was innovative for its cutscene animations alone. It’s one of the oldest games I’ve played that actually feels fairly cinematic. Here’s the thing though — you’ll never actually get to watch those cutscenes unless you’re playing with the rewind feature on the Switch (like I did), or if you’re one of those gamer deities walking among us — like those folks who speedrun Battletoads for fun.

It isn’t just hard — it’s the kind of hard that makes you question whether the developers had a personal grudge against your happiness. Ninja Gaiden as a series is known for its high difficulty from its very inception, and I strongly recommend playing on the Switch with rewind like a totally shameless, corner-cutting rascal. And you will abuse it, because if you don’t, you’ll spiral into a controller-snapping meltdown. I’m kidding. Honestly, there’s no shame in it — the ninja code doesn’t say a single word about not using every sneaky trick available to survive.

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Like I said, you can play this game on the Switch NES online thing, and honestly, that’s the only reason most of us have a fighting chance of finishing it. Without rewind, Ninja Gaiden is less of a game and more of an elaborate psychological experiment in frustration tolerance. You’ll still get knocked around, but at least this way, you can undo the trauma of getting wrecked by one of those birds for the zillionth time instead of hurling your console out the window and explaining to your neighbors why there’s a Nintendo Switch embedded in their car windshield.

Despite its brutal difficulty, the original Ninja Gaiden is absolutely worth playing because it’s a masterclass in tight controls, fast-paced action, and some of the best storytelling the NES had to offer. I think storytelling is one of the greatest aspects of gaming, and it’s fascinating to trace the roots of the medium. The cinematic cutscenes were groundbreaking for their time, pulling you into Ryu Hayabusa’s revenge-fueled journey with actual narrative weight — something rare in an 8-bit game.

Plus, when you finally do overcome its relentless challenge, the sense of accomplishment is unmatched. (I’m kidding. You’re not going to feel any glory, you valiant button-mashing scoundrel.) It’s the kind of game that beats you down, laughs in your face, and somehow still keeps you coming back for more — iT’s LiKe dArK sOuLs! (Okay, not really, but you get the idea.)

Survivor of the bird-apocalypse

Mikhail

Verdict: 7.5/10