Ninja Gaiden (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Tecmo's 1989 action game for the NES, Ninja Gaiden.
Tecmo finally hit their stride in the North American NES market in early 1989 with the release of a pair of games that would go on to establish two of the biggest and most recognizable third-party names of the era - Tecmo Bowl ( • Tecmo Bowl (NES) Playt... ) and Ninja Gaiden.
Ninja Gaiden (known as Shadow Warriors in PAL territories) was developed alongside the arcade title of the same name, though the games bear little resemblance to one another. Ninja Gaiden on the NES is an action-platformer, and when it first released, it was celebrated for its refined gameplay mechanics, high level of difficulty, excellent graphics and sound, and the cinematic presentation of its story.
The intro opens with a dramatic shot of an open field under a full moon. Two ninja break into a sprint and leap toward one another, blades drawn, and meet with a sharp metallic clang. As we watch one of the men slump to the ground in the distance, the narrator questions why his father had to die in such a way. In his father’s belongings, Ryu finds a letter telling him that he must bring the family's sword to an archaeologist in America. "I will get my revenge!"
What a way to kick off the adventure! That iconic sequence served as a striking introduction to the “Tecmo Theater Cinema Display," a collection of techniques used to create the plot driving cutscenes, and the game makes heavy use of this innovation throughout. These lengthy sequences bookend each of Ninja Gaiden's six acts, and they place the story at the forefront more than any other game had so far on the NES. They make up roughly half the game's playtime, and their novelty and the quality of the art and storytelling will keep you on the edge of your seat, pushing you to keep going in order to see what happens next.
Ninja Gaiden isn't all flash, though. The mechanics and controls stand with the best action games on the NES, and the first half does a nice job of easing you into the action. The game is an absolute blast to play, but be warned: Ninja Gaiden‘s reputation as one of the hardest NES games is well deserved.
The gloves come off when you hit Act V. Enemies relentlessly flood the screen, endlessly respawn, and constantly attempt to knock you back into bottomless pits. It takes some real dedication to get through the final areas, even with unlimited continues. It's especially cruel the way it sends you all the way back to stage 6-1 if you die during the final boss rush. I raged so hard at that as a kid, but I had such a feeling of accomplishment when I beat it for the first time!
Ninja Gaiden was an excellent game that set a new high bar for presentation and storytelling in the 8-bit era, and it was one of the NES library's defining classics. I love it.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!

[@NintendoComplete]

In 1989, Ninja Gaiden was the epitome of epic storytelling, cutting edge 8-bit graphics, and unrelenting challenge in video games. What a classic.

[@aggressiveattitudeera887]

Blew my 13 year old mind. Took me 3 months to beat this game.

[@bryany6565]

I want to say we borrowed this one from a neighbor kid, whoooped our butts so hard we were glad to give it back... lol... we would stick to our property of relentless soul torture games gifted by family they just bought random games off box art......hahahaha.... Funny story on family.... we had a distant relative we would go do cookouts with, I Fk you not out of the blue the father/man of the home accused me and my brother of stealing his sons video games!? Whhaa?? Guess what game of any.... shaq fu..... even as a preteen my brother and i were laughing aloud on that one.... that game was so bad it isnt worth stealing!!!! But still had to be searched...embarrasing as all hell.... of course no game cartridges found.... ??? Dude had issues!!!

[@mininm7675]

I played in Nintendo Switch Online

[@soundspark]

@@mininm7675 So you had savestates?

[@mininm7675]

@@soundspark Yes

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

I remember being a kid and seeing these cutscenes and thinking how incredible and cinematic the game felt. And the fact that you got to play an awesome action game between them was icing on the cake to me 😂

[@Trashzombz]

I was -21 yrs/old

[@spoonshiro]

A game that's punishingly hard but you feel like a champion when you finally get through it. What a gem.

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

Tecmo's classic sure hits different. I can only imagine how incredible those cutscenes were at the time.

[@CryptomanXADVENT]

Very, blew my 8 year old mind

[@akachira777]

We thought it was actual movie

[@black07rr]

Can’t even begin to explain the mind explosion first time I watched it….after I spent 15 min blowing into the cartridge to get it to play😂

[@nightmareedge657]

Yeah and the headaches

[@jjlennon83]

For me it was a creepy, emotional roller coaster. I was probably about 8 by the time I got the game. And it kinda freaked me out. Something about the music.

[@KCee984]

I couldn’t beat this game until I became an adult. The music & cutscenes are top tier 🤌🏽 still my favorite game on the nes console.

[@TraumfresserBMofficial]

I got to the last level when I was about 10. As an adult I have no idea how I even got that far.

[@ibezag0]

My ninja gaiden life story with this comment

[@whysoserious-vt4hf]

Same!

[@rjcupid]

I received Ninja Gaiden as a birthday present as a kid. It mesmerized me and I view it as a masterpiece. You have to learn how to navigate this game inch by inch or you will die, often. It is like the first Castlevania or Super Ghouls N Ghosts in that way, but it is so rewarding when you finally finish it. The opening cinematic and the cut scenes are incredible. I also would venture to say that it has one of the best soundtracks in any video game ever. I still think of this game, its atmosphere, music, sounds, bosses and graphics over 30 years later. What a rare gem it is.

[@NintendoComplete]

Oh man, yeah, the soundtrack doesn't get brought up often enough when people are talking about the best NES soundtracks.

[@rjcupid]

@@NintendoComplete It’s incredible. It matches the intense story and sets the atmosphere perfectly. Tecmo made some great games. Great run Alex.

[@rjcupid]

@@NintendoComplete Another thing is I think it has the best controls and hit detection of any NES game I’ve played. Tecmo was good at that e.g. Tecmo Super Bowl.

[@NintendoComplete]

​@rjcupid Thanks! I agree, the controls are really good. They take a little getting used to, but they're so consistent and reliable once you get the feel of them.

[@rjcupid]

@@NintendoComplete They definitely take some getting used to. To me the feel of the controls is similar to Batman and Vice Project Doom. Have a good one!

[@VahanNisanian]

What can I say about this game that hasn't been previously said. It has been 35 years since it was first released in Japan. Although the other two games in the trilogy have all the refinements, the first one remains my favorite.

[@BILLELBODY]

I swear I remember very well when I was young, my love for this game, and I started to finish it without dying once and with absolutely minimal damage

[@guilhermencb]

'Come and fight, young Hayab..." explodes

[@yeahyeahbutnah]

Lmao, fr

[@tinytrashcan2840]

18:31 So the cut scenes between levels were revolutionary but this one in particular towers above the rest for me. The way the game abruptly cuts to it, then has ominous music build and crescendo with Ryu in the foreground and the Jaquio's demented castle in the background as a cold wind blows - just epic. No dialogue, no melodrama, just everything you need to know described with a few measures of music and one striking image. It's the kind of thing that you'd think would happen right before the last level but it occurs at just over the halfway point, showing just how involved Ninja Gaiden's story was compared to everything else at the time.

[@VahanNisanian]

I especially like how the screen glitches for a fraction of a second as soon as you trigger that cutscene.

[@NintendoCat87]

Absolutely nailed it! Your Ninja Gaiden playthrough is a true masterpiece. The way you navigated through those intense levels and conquered every challenge was incredibly impressive. Your skill and dedication to showcasing this classic game's essence shine brightly. Can't wait for more content like this - keep up the fantastic work!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thank you very much! 😊

[@Steelflight773]

I am sure a lot of controllers were broken after a loss to one of the final bosses. I will never forget the look on my older brother’s face when that happened to him for the first time.

[@Jackfargo91]

Even 20 years after this came out I was still destroying controllers

[@Steelflight773]

I wonder what was the thought process of the devs on sending you back to the beginning of the act. What jerk thought that would be a good idea?

[@adrianlovic6486]

I punched holes through doors.

[@NintendoComplete]

​@@Steelflight773I think it was a bug.

[@Steelflight773]

@@NintendoComplete First time hearing it is a bug. That makes sense.

[@Sinn0100]

This is the greatest Nes game ever created. The graphics, sound, and gameplay were bleeding edge for the Nes. I bought it on a whim for my Nes in 1989 with lawn mowing money because ninjas were cool. This game only confirms that.

[@greensun1334]

One of the hardest NES games... Games from the 8bit and 16bit aera were generally harder than today's games. Not always, but very often.

[@emmanuelzozobrado5981]

I love retro graphics and music!

[@donrockwilder]

The music in this game is so good!

[@ernestlemmingway1124]

My friends used to comment how hard this game was back in the day. Then they played the remake on XBOX. Now this looks like a walk in the park.

[@aggressiveattitudeera887]

This, Gauntlet II, Metroid and Super Mario Bros 3 are my all-time favorite NES games.

[@chaunseybillings5381]

I used to play this everyday after school I ❤️ this game

[@AdrianBrown]

TECMO was waaaaaay ahead of its time with cutscenes in video games.

[@isd8894]

Thanks for reminding me how ludicrously overpowered that spinning jump move was... 😂

[@demonofelru3214]

Ah my childhood! I remember getting this game for the NES back then and could not get past stage 5-3, that one jump plus the flying ninjas ughhh lol.

[@Dorian_Scott]

What could I possibly say about this game that hasn't already been said before? The cutscenes really push the NES to its limits and it's still impressive to this day just how animated they are; it's almost like you're watching a movie. The soundtrack is equally amazing and has so much variation; it can be action packed, it can be somber or envoke a sense of danger. My favorite track has always been Stage 4-2 (Unbreakable Determination). Lastly, it's easy to pick up and play. Yes, the game is hard. The respawning enemies can be incredibly frustrating to deal with in the later levels. But with unlimited continues and enough perseverance, you *_WILL_* beat this game. Plus, it's very satisfying to beat a level that gave you so much trouble.

[@robhernjr82]

The soundtrack of this game is one of the most amazing of not only in the 8-Bit era, but of all time!

[@manuelvillalobosacuna6302]

One of the GOATs in video game history 🙂

[@SomeOrangeCat]

The kids and their soulslikes will never understand the real struggle!

[@LITTLE1994]

Even though the difficulty is unforgivable, this game is a fan-favorite among NES players. At least the cutscenes are awesome for the time.

[@lag8876]

That first boss was a fast finish!!! Never knew that move existed

[@HighPlainsDeath]

What move was that?! How is he beating the bosses with one move?! Incredible! 🧐

[@jaym2090]

@@HighPlainsDeath The Jump & Slash power-up. Very convenient for mowing thru the trash mobs that would've died to one or two sword slashes anyway, but way overpowered for boss battles. Pretty much each spin dealt another tick of damage to the boss, effectively turning that powerup into a one-shot against most bosses.

[@sethrohl1997]

Left my NES on for a week straight once to beat this once in 9th grade. Definitely worth the electric bill

[@Dmitrii_Davidovich]

One of my favorite games, the whole trilogy is great. Thanks guys for the beautiful walkthrough.

[@SonicTheHedgehog17]

The NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy could easily be adapted into a movie trilogy or a mini-series with 3 seasons. I hope its gonna happen someday.

[@Orly777]

Wow !!! By watching this game I was playing with you ❤ I have great memories about this game , thanks for uploading

[@Phantom.Gaming64]

Go ninja, go ninja, go! Ninja Gaiden Trilogy for NES was a fun time, but boy, does the difficulty ramp up towards the end. That final boss rush does require some practice and patience.

[@NintendoComplete]

Oh shit, that's where a fresh fade and an eyebrow knick come in handy! They give people special powers, like being able to rock the NES pad like a vandal.

[@globalproductandgamingreview]

That was awesome! I am looking forward to more of your game playthroughs!

[@thecunninlynguist]

Ninja GUY-DEN -That guy from the wizard. But really, a classic of classics. I could never beat it legit on a real NES...it took emulation and save stating. But it's a hell of a ride with awesome music and those cut scenes! What the...

[@cormano64]

"What the!". It's just hilarious how many times Ryu is caught by surprise in this game. On the subject of using save states to play it, all that matters is that you had fun playing it. Although I enjoy it so much, I don't care how many times I had to die to learn the game's pattern in order to finish it.

[@akachira777]

Kids today will not appreciate the cinematic goodness we had with Ninja Gaiden games back in early 90s.

[@xxHUNGRY4THETRUTHxx]

Durung the time of it's release in '89 I actually prefered the much different arcade version. Yet today I understand why the NES title is the long lasting classic.

[@trumanwoodyard8645]

One of my favs when I was young, great soundtrack too

[@digitalworms]

Ninja Gaiden was a game I got for Christmas I absolutely fell in love with! Difficult, hard hitting awesome 8 bit tunes and mini movies! It took me until last year I was 39 to complete this and castlevania 1 wish I would of sat down along time ago and learned every level back in the day!

[@cormano64]

My absolute favorite game on the NES. I did not have access to it on the 80's at all because the closest rental place at the time only had Ninja Gaiden 2 and eventually 3. I only got around to playing it well into the late 2000's. Although it's the least visually impressive of the NES trilogy, it absolutely has the most responsive controls I've ever experience on pretty much any game ever. So it's always a joy to revisit it.

[@ToddSweeney341]

Classic series 😊😊

[@charlescharlemagne4907]

12:48 ...song is still great to this day. I come back to listen to it from time to time

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

I hadn't heard that since the 1980s but immediately remembered it as soon as it started playing. I used to love that cutscene as a kid just because of the music.

[@charlescharlemagne4907]

@@ahorsewithnoname773 same. Was always my favorite

[@KaZikandriera]

" Tragic Fate " my favorite melody in this game

[@jjlennon83]

This was my favourite game growing up. And ironically I was good at it. Could finish it quite easily. There are a few hacks here I didn’t know about. Today, playing this game I get absolutely hammered.

[@OssxJah]

Being a ninja/shinobi himself, he's always getting ambushed and caught by surprise. First the girl, then the three men.

[@johnnycalderon833]

Childhood memories I used to play this game when I was about 11 years old thanks for the video

[@LlorDrei]

It's shown, at this time, that Ryu has brown eyes. Something people comment about with later games with him having green, green-gold, or blue-green eyes.

[@yusakug]

It’s a crying shame that the only time Ninja Gaiden appeared on 16-Bit was the collection cart with the messed up music. A Ninja Gaiden IV was sorely missed.

[@NintendoComplete]

Hudson ported it to the PC Engine, too, and it was better than the SNES version. Different music, though. Unfortunately.

[@claytonbishop4021]

I first played this game back in November of '89 and finally finished the game in 1991. And later that year, I hear something about the "Internet" and it will change mankind forever. Say Whaaaaaaaaaaattt?!!!

[@VahanNisanian]

If you're really good, and hold on to the Jump n Slash until you reach the boss, each boss becomes a joke. And having played this and the other two games in Japanese, I've noticed a couple of things: They clearly changed some of the lines. Foster originally said before Act 4 began, "You're not that dumb. Are you?" and Ryu said "Onare Jaquio!" before he was about to fight him. No idea what Onare means. I also noticed that everytime a character spoke to you telepathically, double hook brackets were used.

[@NintendoComplete]

Yeah, that rolling slash cuts through them like a hot knife through butter. Onare is the equivalent of yelling something like "come on!" or "bring it!" It's meant to provoke a reaction.

[@Dorian_Scott]

If I'm not mistaken, Ryu was originally named Ken; which the 3D installments seem to retain.

[@VahanNisanian]

@@Dorian_Scott Actually, it was Ken who was originally named Joe. Ryu was always Ryu in the Japanese version.

[@NintendoComplete]

​@@Dorian_ScottKen was Ryu's dad.

[@Dorian_Scott]

@@NintendoComplete _Right..._ It's been a while since I last played this game lol.

[@RichieCavsRetrocade]

One of the greatest games on NES. Frustratingly hard, but great!

[@andyprice4696]

Man… I was 7 years old when this came out. That opening duel is forever burned in my memory. Me and my best friends at the time spent hours and hours on this game. I haven’t thought of it in a long time. Just popped in my head today along with going over to their house in the summer. 4th of July when I was a kid and seeing my first Jenny McCarthy PB mag. Haha. Simpler times and I had awesome people to grow up with. I miss the late 80s and early 90s bad sometimes. It was a whole different vibe back then. Also, mad props to whoever did this play through. A near flawless run. Shit we could never get past act III. This game took some skill!

[@songoku9348]

This is a nice surprise. Classic NG. Didn’t you already do the trilogy years ago?

[@NintendoComplete]

I did, but those recordings are so soft and mushy looking. They need replacing.

[@ricersal]

Es como volver a vivir ….. Gracias por publicar este video ….. me remonto a mis días de gloria en Nintendo …… grandioso y majistral juego ……. Los pude jugar los 4 y los finalize

[@hoch316]

Great soundtrack

[@allclassallthetime4739]

So Ken Hayabusa is himself a PhD in archeology, I hope people get that straight. The man was more than a practicing modern day samurai. Tokyo U.? Or perhaps he studied somewhere in Utah (Maybe UH?) with Dr. Smith. Either way very interesting developments. I'd love some theories.

[@YukaTakeuchiFan]

I'd edit your description a bit; you have a slight typo - it's actually 6-1 that the game sends you back to if you screw up the boss rush. I think everyone who's ever made it to the second fight in the boss rush has that knowledge permanently scarred into their hearts.

[@NintendoComplete]

Ah good catch, thanks!

[@jasonholloway2476]

Some regulars of this channel might know that the song April by Deep Purple was an inspiration for the dungeon theme in the original legend of Zelda. Go back and listen to the Deep Purple song, and I think that you'll hear the opening cut scene music to Ninja Gaiden as well.

[@therealquinnzack1819]

Watching this was amazing; I had no idea you could kill Malth so quickly, that was some incredible skill!!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks! :)

[@cristianvq7177]

The joy this game brings me is beyond anything new gaming systems can provide. So many awesome memories.

[@Bama25C]

😢 miss my childhood

[@NickolaiVolkov]

Well, you just gone done with Stage 2 and are absolutely crushing it. I'm gonna save the rest to watch with dinner tonight. LOL. this is AWESOME! Well done thus far! :)

[@chaunseybillings5381]

I used to love this game

[@chaunseybillings5381]

Man this game brings back memories

[@Just_a_random_who_likes_stuff]

It's a very good game

[@aaronstark5060]

I’ve been playing this game for 35 years and I’m only just now learning that you can do a regular jump slash while you have the spin attack. Fuck me.

[@xwf1000v3]

This game was really difficult back in the day. What’s worse is that I couldn’t beat it & there were no Game Genie codes for the game.

[@PC-yp5dl]

This game had one of the most rockin vg tracks of all NES

[@progressivepastor4442]

That jump slash is unstoppable

[@TimewornUncle]

I cleared this in 1989, last day of 8th grade. Still think its the best ending of any NES game in my collection. Cheesy and over dramatic, but that's the style of Ninja Gaiden cinema. Loved it.

[@adrianlovic6486]

Oi, watch it with the cheesy comment. Your not talking about religion here, this is NES, much more serious..

[@LlorDrei]

The temple seems to be a similar version of the destruction of Dracula's castle from the end of Castlevania 3, having the additional upper-story walkway and terrace, and leaving behind a broken base after it crumbles, the ending similar to the Trevor/Sypha ending, with Ryu/Irene.

[@ZANNKImusic]

I have a vivid memory from my childhood of being deeply impressed by the music, especially the BGM 'The Amazing Ryu

[@BuyingDaDip209]

As a kid watching that scene at 18:31...for the first time made my heart race. I could not wait to tell my school buddies I been further than them lol lol... I'd be walking tall for months lol lol... I was the big dog in that elementary campus lol lol....

[@GuilhermeGiglio]

One of the best games ever

[@JonesDylan874]

Ah, yes, a REAL classic game.

[@torurikishii7040]

*_LIKE LIKE .. ESPECTACULAR FELICITACIONES_*

[@edoboii9861]

Year was 98 we're broke- didn't have anything, I was around 9 or 10, a friend of my parents gave me a NES with this game, hardly works, had to blew out the cartridge and all that everyyytime, only managed to finish the game til act IV I think, cause it's pretty much fucked and has that burnt smell goin on... but watching this and realize how far we've come, it's a great feeling. Now I can finally see the ending. Thank you.

[@derekminns2332]

My dad got this game for me and my brother for Christmas took me long time to finally beat the game great times 😢😢😢😢

[@soopainfinite]

Out of all the years I've played this game back in the 80s, I never knew you could cut off the tail from the statue... when fighting the jaquio, i usually climb the right wall as far up, jump out and let him hit you, and you'll glitch standing on the top right corner... just kneel down and strike when he nears you and strike any attacks

[@r_SoLv_]

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

[@ChrisVideoNet]

This game was impossibly hard. Never got past the 4th or 5th level

[@9b8ll]

Aw, Ninja Gaiden is one of the most brutal games out there, but still a 5/5 landmark game. I don't know how I beat this game as a kid back then............ because the last boss fight is the most brutal punishment in gaming history. If you lose to the last boss, you will get sent back to the beginning of the last stage! That got me so mad lol

[@MazPower1982]

This was The Very first Game my MOM bought me on Nintendo.... Brings tears to my EYES

[@360entertainment2]

Something I love about Nintendo games like this is the fact that a lot of the enemy designs look like they could fit into most games, not counting the bosses of course. Some of them in this one alone look like they came from Castlevania and Ghosts’n’Goblins!

[@mr.g4990]

Only played this a few months ago, missed the opportunity growing up. Man that was a week of cussing and ragequitting at its finest. In my experience, I had less trouble here than say, Batman, which can still bug me at times. Overall I think Ninja Gaiden kind of "flows" better and makes you play more or focus harder.

[@AndrewSouzaGames555]

8:32 amazônia confirmada em ninja Gaiden

[@cormano64]

"Ryu, come to Brazil... or else".

[@Dantes903]

Enjoying the intro and mixed with a chick-fil-A 😂

[@ziggy8253]

Brings back memories.

[@windscar15]

Fun fact: Masato Kato, one of the main writers for Chrono Trigger and Xenogears wrote the cutscenes for this game.

[@NintendoComplete]

No shit? That's cool, I wouldn't never made that connection.

[@ToshyroX]

18:53 thats where the best music starts

[@LamBosco]

fun fact: in Japan, this game is in the same series as Captain Tsubasa(AKA Tecmo Cup Soccer Game) and Captain Tsubasa II Super Striker called Tecmo Theater

[@KamuiCage]

As kids we thought this game was a Shinobi sequel. Even though we never played Shinobi

[@GJ_Kennel]

I watched my older brother beat part 1,2,3 in front of my eyes in 2.5 hours. 😂 He hasn't planned it in 25 years. All by memory!

[@harrisonho8934]

The only Ninja Gaiden game I've beaten is the Famicom Ninja Ryukenden III: Yomi no Hakobune (known as Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom in the U.S.), and similar to Akumajou Densetsu (known as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse in the U.S.), while still a fairly challenging game, was much easier than its U.S. counterpart.

[@ghostrder6127]

LOL....all this time I beat the game the hard way back in the 80s!!

[@milavanilla8375]

MY TIME MACHINE

[@WhiteFangofWar]

Landmark game. Need a new NG or perhaps a spiritual successor.

[@gabrielcobos1033]

Yes!

[@TheGoonsies]

Lol I never really thought about it, but the very first boss is you walking into a bar and fighting someone

[@puranostalgia415]

Very cool game.