Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx-16)

Ninja Spirit

Ninja Spirit is a side-scrolling action game that amazed the gaming world with its precision graphics and quality game play. Play as the ninja Moonlight and engage in a fierce battle to avenge his father's death and unlock the secrets of his birth. Select between the original arcade mode and PC Engine mode, which includes a life gauge.

Use four types of weapons: katana, shuriken, bombs and chain and sickles to battle your way through the enemies. Pick up power-up items and switch between weapons to give you the advantage. You'll need to consider the enemy attacks and your weapon's abilities in order to deftly make it through all seven stages. Use your skills and attacks to get through the game's boundless enemies and traps. That's what ninja action is all about.

Ninja Spirit Review

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Review by Damien McFerran

Ninja Spirit Screenshot

Often overlooked in favour of more established 'ninja' franchies like Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden, this TurboGrafx classic is another welcome addition to the Virtual Console from veteran developers Irem.

In Ninja Spirit, you control a sword-wielding shadow warrior seeking revenge for the murder of his father. But the similarities end with the storyline – Spirit is its own adventure, and plays in its own distinct way. Your hero here is Moonlight, a man who's less concerned about wall-crawling and urban acrobatics and more attuned to the classic style of ninja-ing from ancient, feudal Japan. A style of ninja-ing that involves jumping really high.

Ninja Spirit Screenshot

The Legend of Kage tried to pull it off, but failed horrendously. Ninja Spirit gets it right – your hero can leap through the air with ridiculous skill, covering startlingly large vertical and horizontal distance. You're able to jump from branch to branch in darkened forests, clashing with enemies hidden in the leaves. Your weapon is just a simple sword at the start, but can be upgraded to a more powerful, wave-emitting form that can deflect any bad guy's ranged attacks. You can also swap out your main weapon altogether, and wield instead distance attacks like thrown powder bombs that explode on contact with the ground.

While Ninja Spirit doesn't quite reach the same heights as the aforementioned Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden, it's still a perfectly enjoyable platform romp and should be checked out by fans of the genre.

4/5

Average reader rating: 3.72 (18 ratings)

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Screenshots

Ninja Spirit Screenshot Ninja Spirit Screenshot

Ninja Spirit (Video Clip)

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Have your say about Ninja Spirit

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1. michinmuri United States 16 May 2007, 23:43 GMT

absolute must-have for any fan of the PCE/Turbo Grafix. One of my favorite games. This game goes to show how great games could be for their time. A simple ninja platformed but awesome. The last level is nigh impossible to beat (I never have.)

2. KQ United Kingdom 17 May 2007, 14:34 GMT

IMO PC Engine Mode's quite easy. Are you stuck on the fall off the cliff bit? Tip : Fall off then go all the way left to thge wall, move a '1 man' space away from the wall and you should be able to fall to the end of the level. Hope that helps.

3. Slippy United States 25 May 2007, 17:59 GMT

I decided to check this game out based on the reviews here and the fact that I never owned a TG16/PCE. Awesome game, though definitely easy in pc engine mode with infinite continues. Haven't been able to pass that "fall off the cliff and get shredded by millions of ninjas" part yet though. I'd have to say this was a good choice for my first VC purchase.

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4. fac_ownage United States 26 May 2007, 03:06 GMT

If you want a game that pisses u off and makes u yell at the screen numerous times, by all means, get this game. i hate it. it makes no sense...sometimes u die in one hit, sometimes it takes many times getting hit to die...MAKES NO SENSE. abomination of ridiculous amounts of enemies and causes it to lag like crazy.

but god damn its addicting and makes u want to beat it.

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5. link64 United Kingdom 28 May 2007, 18:04 GMT

It depends how close you are to the enemy's attack.

or you could go on arcade mode were every hit kills you.

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6. link64 United Kingdom 10 Jul 2007, 00:01 GMT

The edition of the pc engine mode is nice but this game is to short.

7. Mii be you United States 31 Jul 2007, 21:50 GMT

This game's great. I love the weapons. I love killing lots of Ninjas that wanna kill you. I love beating the bosses over and over.
But I wish the bosses were harder.
I hate the last 2 levels! Level 6 is HARD! Level 7 is boring until you get to a part were LOTS and LOTS of ninjas come at you and kill you instantly!(panting) But that's O.K. This game's good.

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8. Peksu Finland 09 Sep 2007, 14:21 GMT

I guess this game is pretty decent, but it's just really shallow.
Sure, there's 2 player option, but it's like Super Mario Bros, players take turns playing levels. There's much better games available for download, but if you've got thing for ninjas, I guess this is just the game for you. But othervise, use your points wiser.

9. Mii be you United States 14 Oct 2007, 21:06 GMT

Serpent01, The sword can be only upgraded ONCE(just like the other weapons)!

10. kalle3004 Netherlands 23 Dec 2007, 15:24 GMT

Is this game really that hard?

11. David Canada 06 Jan 2008, 01:29 GMT

No, it's not really that hard. The last level is a bitch though if you don't know exactly how to beat it. There's this really wide and long pit you have to jump down, and there are enemies that are just floating there waiting to kill you the whole way down. You have to stick to the left side and dodge the one guy that periodically shows up there, otherwise you'll never make it.

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12. Cally United States 17 Jan 2008, 07:45 GMT

I thought this game was just great--beat it, for the first time on the VC. No, it's not terribly complicated, with your character having exactly the moves and power-ups he needs to get through the (annoyingly) endless waves of enemies. Slashing the crap out of enemies with your powered up sword with your two dopplegangers (sp?) just feels absolutely awesome, plus twists of some stages involving leaps between floor and ceiling. I also thought the difficult was balanced very well, save for that ridiculous final sequence of trying to fall between ninjas going upward, requiring memorization (yay for unlimited continues). Sure, it feels kinda primitive but astonishingly well-executed for what it is.

13. jeffo Canada 04 Feb 2008, 00:25 GMT

One of the better ninja games for sure. I think it beats the early Gaiden's hand's down. No incredibly frustrating platform jumping (falling) elements. The Ninja-meets-Supernatural elements of the story and art design are also far more appealing than dodging street thugs and bazooka shells imo. Anyways my criticism is it's way, way too short. The more awesome and meaner looking bosses are also way, way too easy and there's that one really unnecessary falling bit at the very end - which you can find the solution to pretty easily online and save yourself the frustration of dying a million-zillion times like I did when I first played the hucard. Good weapons and powerup selection, great graphics for their time just a shame that its way too quick and pretty easy. Worth a download if you're into the ninja games but getting frustrated with overly aggravating platform jumping elements. 8/10.

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14. Nigel Canada 07 Feb 2008, 14:59 GMT

I find this a little less fun that Shinobi. I haven't tried Ninja Gaiden.

15. GEOFF United Kingdom 14 May 2008, 13:21 GMT

Do not play this game on arcade mode the last boss is the hardest I have ever played in over 20 years of playing games.Impossible, it will drive you mad.I quit then deleted it forever.

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