Two ninjas, face off under the moon in an open field. They sprint at each other, jumping into the air with their swords drawn. One is left standing. So begins Ninja Gaiden, created by Tecmo. A platformer that changed how a video game could be presented and how hard the levels would be.
The ninja who did not get up was the father of Ryu Hayabusa. Instructed by a letter to find a Walter Smith, Ryu travels to America. Things do not start off very well. Ryu is kidnapped by a strange women, given a strange statute that people are willing to kill to possess. He will learn of a prophecy that means the end of the world. Ryu will travel around the world to discover how to stop an ancient evil from awakening.
Ninja Gaiden is a side scroller at it’s core. You cross 20 levels, hacking and slashing foes who appear before you.The main weapon is Ryu’s Dragon Sword. A secondary weapon can be used. It uses a spirit meter which can be depleted and restored. The game starts getting really hard later in the game. Many gamers never got to the later stages. The bosses are a mix of ninjas and inhuman monsters from a dark realm.
The game is best remembered for the 20 minutes of cut scenes that are spread through the game. The developers believed that the story was just as important as the game-play. Ryu comes in contact with many characters. He feels more like a fleshed out character. The scenes have an anime like scene with the dialogue appearing below. A new concept at the time, these scenes made you feel like you were playing a cartoon.
Ninja Gaiden began a series that still exists today. Ryu might have changed, but the story has lasted. Looking back now, it is amazing how the game still works today. There were many ideas that did not make it to the final product. Ryu would scan his surroundings with a special helmet, but it was not workable. Ninja Gaiden was a step toward video games becoming more cinematic, a trend that is common in today’s video game market.