A sunny afternoon in 1990. RetroGamer84 and GamerFan sit in the living room, surrounded by NES cartridges and video game magazines.

Alright, GamerFan, ready for some ninja action with Shadow of the Ninja?

You bet! I’ve been looking forward to playing Shadow of the Ninja all week. Natsume really outdid themselves with this one – heard a lot about it in the latest Nintendo Power.

Definitely! I read that too. It’s awesome that it’s set in the futuristic 21st century. The graphics look incredible for the NES, don’t they?

Absolutely. The detail in New York’s skyline is amazing, even though it’s taken over by Emperor Garuda. Speaking of which, do you want to be Hayate or Kaede?

I’ll take Hayate this time. His name means ‘swift wind,’ which suits my playing style.

Perfect, I’ll go with Kaede. A female ninja with rapid moves, she’s brilliant. Let’s start with the first level and see how far we can get.

They boot up the game, ready for martial arts action.

I love how fluid the controls are. The ability to hang from platforms and switch floors adds a lot of depth.

Totally. And the power-ups are so cool. I’m digging the grappling hook – it’s super handy for those hard-to-reach enemies.

Yeah, and the throwing stars give us that ranged advantage. Have you tried holding down the attack button to charge up a stronger melee attack? It’s handy against bosses.

Oh, that’s a neat trick! Speaking of bosses, I heard the end boss, Garuda, is quite the challenge. Supposedly, he has multiple forms.

No spoilers yet! Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. Did you know that the team at Natsume who made this game also created the Power Blade series? These guys really know their action games.

That’s impressive. No wonder the gameplay feels so polished. Hey, quick tip: don’t forget to pick up canisters. They might contain crucial health boosts or upgrades.

I’ll keep that in mind. Also, if one of us finds a health power-up, it restores both players’ health in co-op mode. Let’s focus on teamwork to get through this.

 

The game is reaching the ending. Spoiler Alert!

Wow, we finally made it to the final level. This has been quite the journey, fighting through all those waves of enemies and bosses.

Here we go! The final confrontation with Emperor Garuda. He’s definitely not holding back.

And there it is – multiple phases. We need to be on our toes. See how his attack patterns change? The second form is especially tricky.

Use your grappling hook to dodge his aerial attacks, and when he’s on the ground, hit him with charged sword slashes.

Got it! That strategy works like a charm. And… we did it! Garuda is down!

What an epic final fight. The animation of Garuda’s defeat is really something. And look at that ending sequence – our ninjas standing on the rooftop, city skyline behind them. Classic!

Perfect way to end the game. This has to be one of the best co-op experiences on the NES. The level design, enemy variety, and the two-player co-op feature really make it stand out.

Agreed. Shadow of the Ninja definitely deserves a spot in our top NES games list. Looking forward to seeing more from Natsume in the future.

Me too. You think we can tackle another one next weekend? Maybe revisit Ninja Gaiden and compare?

Sounds like a plan. Let’s get back to Nintendo Power and see what other tips and tricks we can find for the next challenge.

Deal. Another adventure awaits!

With that, the two friends bask in their triumph, having just saved futuristic New York from Emperor Garuda. Ready for more adventures, they dive back into the world of gaming.

You can also read the Villain View of Shadow of the Ninja here!

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