KnockBack, Episode 234 | Ninja Gaiden (NES)
Added 2022-08-01 16:01:06 +0000 UTCWe -- the Brothers Moriarty -- loved us some Ninja Gaiden in our younger years. The NES original is actually a vague reinterpretation of an arcade title by the same name that preceded it; yet, in turning Ninja Gaiden from a beat-'em-up into an action-platformer, developer Tecmo spawned a powerhouse that easily rivals other late-'80s classics. Indeed, it belongs in the conversation of best NES games, full-stop. Our investigation into Ryu Hayabusa's retro adventure doesn't only end with the first game, though, as we explore its contemporaries on the market and wax poetic about the heyday of the fictional ninja in greater media, and how Ninja Gaiden's deeply-told story gave us context, perhaps for the first time in our then-young lives, into the deeper potential of video games.
Topic starts at 0:11:25
Comments
Horrifying!
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-05 20:14:52 +0000 UTCEven though my experience growing up was much more from Ninja Gaiden 2...I have to echo your thoughts on just how terrifying Jaquio was as a 6 or 7 year old kid at the time.
Stephen King
2022-08-04 20:31:14 +0000 UTCIt's just crazy that the buttons are inverted like that, and so many people probably don't know.
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-03 19:40:44 +0000 UTCGreat episode. Interesting discussion on the button layout on the Switch. I always have to map the NES game buttons to Y and B (for B and A respectively). I think it began when trying to play SMB while holding run and not being able to reach up with the side of my thumb to jump. I hate those Ninja Gaiden birds.
Greg Rygar
2022-08-02 19:53:35 +0000 UTCThank you. You should!
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-02 16:30:43 +0000 UTCI'd like to write new ones, one day. Maybe if time were infinite.
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-02 16:30:39 +0000 UTCVery accessible on Switch! =)
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-02 16:30:29 +0000 UTCFunny that it's a mistake they decided to leave in.
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-02 16:30:20 +0000 UTCI never played the Master System iteration.
Colin Moriarty
2022-08-02 16:30:04 +0000 UTCFantastic Episode. i’ll have to check it out on Switch at some point
Trevor Myers
2022-08-02 13:02:34 +0000 UTCI miss the days when strategy guides and GameFAQs could coexist. Buy a guide for the games you really cared about, go online to help with a game rental. Colin, I think it's time for you to take your GameFAQs guides and put them into print.
macdaddyx4
2022-08-02 01:34:18 +0000 UTCNever played/owned this game. Always heard stories of how hard it is.
Brandon Soto
2022-08-01 21:07:18 +0000 UTCOh hell yeah! I recently played through all the NES games and the GB game and I love all of these. They all hold up except for some stupid artificial difficulty like how if you die on the last boss of NG1 you gotta do the whole stage over. I found the first game surprisingly easy until 6-2 (I think). 2 is good but my least favorite and 3 I can only beat on the Japanese version but I loved it.
Dylan Michael
2022-08-01 18:22:06 +0000 UTCThis is one of my favorite series, and I have a few takes. First, the SNES collection is really bad. It's slower, and they messed with the music. Stick with the originals. Secondly, Tecmo was really against the rental market, so, they make you take double damage in the third game. I recommend the restoration patch for that one. Lastly, there is a unique Ninja Gaiden game that was released for the Master System, that's good.
Jeremy Seal
2022-08-01 17:29:32 +0000 UTC
