The Ninja Warriors (ニンジャウォーリアーズ) is a side-scrolling hack 'n slash action game originally released in 1988 for Arcades. The game was distributed both in dedicated cabinets, and as a conversion kit for Darius cabinets, utilizing the same three-screen monitor setup used by Darius.
It was ported to the PC Engine in 1989, in the same year in Europe to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 in 1990, and Mega CD in 1993. In 2006, it was distributed as a mobile phone application game to three mobile phone carriers, EZ appli, i-appli, and V appli. In 2008, it was distributed to mobile phone carriers in a form that was faithful to the arcade version. The PC Engine version was released on i-revo as software for Windows in 2006, and was released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2008. The Arcade version was released on Arcade Archives for PlayStation 4 in 2017 and Nintendo Switch in 2019.
In 1994 the game received a remake for the Super NES titled The Ninja Warriors Again.
Gameplay[]
The Ninja Warriors is a two-player side-scrolling action game. Player one controls the Kunoichi, while player two controls the Ninja; both play exactly the same, though the Ninja has slightly more health than the Kunoichi. Players have no lives, instead each player has a health meter which depletes upon receiving damage, with the game being over once it reaches zero. The player characters can attack in close range with the first button and throw shurikens with the second button; jumping is done by pressing up, being used more as a defensive maneuver to dodge attacks since there is no platforming in the game.
By holding the attack button the characters assume a defensive stance, being able to block enemy attacks and projectiles. By pressing up while on the defensive stance the character will execute a somersault, being completely invincible for the duration of the maneuver. Shuriken come in limited numbers, but they can be replenished by defeating ninja-type enemies.
Story[]
1993 A.D. What was once a glorious, prosperous country now faced a major crisis. Ever since the evil dictator Banglar became the president with his evil magic, people got brainwashed into servitude, crime rate skyrocketed and society ended devastated. Meanwhile, in order to bring an end to all this chaos the revolutionary leader Mulk began development of high-tech androids with a ninja motif. The two completed machines had but one mission: kill Banglar.
Sega CD Version[]
1993. This once-prosperous nation now faces unprecedented danger! Ever since the evil dictator Banglar used dark magic to become president, murder, drugs, and crime have plagued the country. Civil disturbances, poverty, and infectious diseases have spread. Society has fallen into decay. In the midst of this, the seeds of revolution took root among the downtrodden many. A revolutionary army formed to carry out a “presidential assassination plan.” Countless strategies were presented, and with just one week before the execution date, they had narrowed them down to three candidates.
- . Destroy the Government’s central communications master computer by infecting it with a virus.
- . Instruct Kelly Platoon to overthrow the government in collaboration with S Federation.
- . Assassinate the president using a “Murder Machine” courtesy of the Mulk Project.
The Council of Elders was to decide which operation to proceed with, the result to be reported to the Operations Headquarters by intelligence officer Lee Wong. However, Lee Wong had been marked by the authorities, making it impossible for him to visit the headquarters in person. Instead, fellow agent OGR was assigned to find Lee Wong and hear the selection results from him directly. OGR wandered the streets in search of Lee Wong, but when he eventually found him, his body was already cold. The only clue was a series of letters written in blood — “ZTT.”
OGR continued wandering in search of the meaning of the mysterious letters “ZTT.” By chance, he stumbled upon the letters while glancing into a live bar. As he began asking questions about the band, a song suddenly caught his ears.
“What’s the name of this song?”
“Daddy Mulk!”
That was it! The name of the song revealed the final decision. A few days later, the operation to assassinate the president by “Murder Machine” commenced.
Stages and Bosses[]
| Stage | Name | Boss | BGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slums | Kunoichi | Daddy Mulk |
| 2 | Military Base | Army Tank | Are You Lady? |
| 3 | Hangar | Iron Arm | Che! |
| 4 | Building Area | Army Tank | Japanese Smile |
| 5 | Underground Waterway | Iron Arm | Motherless Children |
| 6 | Banglar Mansion | Banglar | Daddy Mulk |
Enemies[]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
