Saigo no Nindō
最後の忍道1990Saigo no Nindō
最後の忍道ALSO KNOWN AS NINJA SPIRIT
A harsh platformer in which a young ninja avenges his father.
Ninja Spirit is an Irem arcade game from 1988, ported to the PC Engine in 1990. Players know it for detailed graphics and a harsh difficulty. The hero fights through seven stages to avenge his father.
| RELEASED IN JAPAN | 1990 |
|---|---|
| ARCADE ORIGINAL | 1988, by Irem |
| PUBLISHER ON THE PC ENGINE | NEC |
| PLAYERS | One |
You control Tsukikage, a young ninja who always carries the katana Muramasa. The blade strikes in all directions.
Extra weapons include Uzha throwing blades and Raitake bombs. One power-up calls ninja ghosts to help you, and each stage ends with a boss.
The PC Engine version has two modes. In PC Engine mode, you lose a life only when all five energy points run out. Some enemies can still kill you in one hit.
Arcade mode is harder, and any attack costs a life.
Tsukikage lost his father to a mysterious creature, half man and half beast. He travels through an alternative feudal Japan to avenge him.
The stages cross woods, wastelands, swamps, temples and cliffs.
Irem developed and published the 1988 arcade game.
Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the arcade game a perfect 10 in issue 15. The PC Engine version came to the Wii Virtual Console in Japan in 2007.
Hamster added the arcade game to the Arcade Archives series in 2019.
Ninja Spirit shows a demanding arcade action game on the console. Its two modes offer an easier home version and a stricter arcade option.
- Shuyaku Sentai Irem Fighter, a Japan-only Game Boy title, featured Ninja Spirit characters.
- The arcade version drew praise for its graphics and themes, and criticism for its difficulty.
- Game Machine ranked the arcade game fifth among table arcade units in September 1988.
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