Most people know Ninja Gaiden as the NES platform game or the hyper-violent modern series of brawlers.
But what about the 1988 coin-op…?
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Again, like the NES title, the arcade machine was also calledShadow Warriorsin Europe.
The cities of the US, inNinja Gaidens alternative history, are paved with madmen.
The central villain brilliantly named Bladedamus has employed an army of pumped-up goons.
The rank-and-file bad guys wear tight-fitting vests and hockey masks, just like Jason Voorhees.
To defeat them, the ninja employs his somewhat small range of martial arts moves.
Although his move set is limited, the ninjas fast and agile.
The arcadeNinja Gaidenis clearly modeled on Technos beat-em-upDouble Dragon, which was a sizeable arcade hit the year before.
WhatNinja Gaidendoes have in its favor, though, is a varied array of level designs.
Imagine the YouTube videos…
The further into the game you go, the more surreal it gets.
Stage three is a nightmarish reimagining of Las Vegas.
Then a man rides in on a tiny helicopter and things get even more strange.
After a fight through a train yard, things reach their crazy zenith in the sixth and final level.
Its a bone-crunching trudge through Bladedamus lair, which is populated by yet more masked goons.
Another rematch unfolds in front of a second portrait of Nostradamus.
Finally, Bladedamus himself makes his grand entrance.
The games levels are punctuated by an increasingly odd selection of graphic interludes.
Konami took a similar approach with itsTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtleslicensed games in 1989.
It released a four-player arcade beat-em-up and a rock-hard NES platformer at almost the same time.
But theNinja Gaidencoin-op is, for all its repetition, still an entertaining brawler particularly with two players.
