Ninja Gaiden

Ninja Gaiden is a hack-and-slash platformer released for the NES in 1988, blending fast-paced combat with challenging level design across its side-scrolling stages. The game follows ninja protagonist Ryu Hayabusa through a series of action-packed missions, establishing the foundation for what would become a long-running franchise.

The title has recently gained fresh attention with its addition to Nintendo Switch Online's NES library, introducing the classic to players accessing the service's expanding roster of retro titles. This marks another opportunity for modern audiences to experience the original that helped define the action-platformer genre on Nintendo's 8-bit hardware.