Product Overview
- Product Name: Ninja Gaiden
- New or Used: Used
- In Box or Loose: Loose
- Overall Condition: Very Good
- Save Battery Status*: Not Applicable – Does Not Use Battery
- Notes: Ninja Gaiden is a genuine NES cartridge in very good condition, cleaned and tested for dependable play. The original label is fully intact with bright, vivid colors and stands out as above average for a loose NES cart. Contacts have been cleaned and tested to ensure reliable performance on original Nintendo hardware. A clean, authentic cartridge with strong shelf appeal, making it a great addition to any classic NES collection.
Photos show actual product for sale — no stock images used.
What's Included
- NES Game Cartridge: Yes
- Manual / Instructions: No
- Cartridge Dust Cover / Sleeve: No
- Original Retail Box: No
- Styrofoam Insert: No
- Extras:
Game Description
Ninja Gaiden is a defining Nintendo NES 8-bit platformer that raised the bar for action, storytelling, and difficulty on the system. Players take on the role of Ryu Hayabusa, a lone ninja driven by honor and revenge, cutting his way through enemy strongholds, ancient ruins, and shadowy landscapes in a quest that feels cinematic, urgent, and intensely personal.
What set Ninja Gaiden apart the moment it released was its sense of momentum and precision. Movement is fast and fluid, wall jumps are razor-sharp, and combat rewards confidence and commitment. Every encounter demands focus, turning each level into a high-stakes test of reflexes and pattern recognition. The game’s pace is relentless, yet deeply satisfying, creating a loop where mastery feels hard-earned and unforgettable.
More than just a challenging action game, Ninja Gaiden helped redefine what console games could be by introducing cinematic cutscenes that advanced the story between stages. This blend of intense gameplay and dramatic presentation cemented its reputation as a cornerstone of the NES library and a must-own cultural artifact for collectors who value games that pushed the medium forward.
Gameplay Features
- Fast-paced action platforming built around precision movement and wall jumps
- Fluid sword combat that rewards timing, positioning, and aggression
- Relentless enemy patterns designed to test focus and execution
- Cinematic presentation with story-driven cutscenes between stages
- High difficulty curve that emphasizes mastery over memorization
- Elite NES-era design that blends speed, challenge, and atmosphere
Historical Trivia or Fun Fact
Ninja Gaiden was developed by Tecmo and directed by Hideo Yoshizawa, introducing one of the earliest examples of cinematic storytelling in console games through its groundbreaking cutscene system. This narrative approach helped distinguish it from other action titles of the era.
The game’s intense soundtrack and uncompromising difficulty left a lasting legacy, influencing future entries across multiple generations. Today, Ninja Gaiden is widely regarded as one of the most important and challenging releases on the NES, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with classics like Contra and Castlevania as a defining pillar of 8-bit action excellence.
Additional Details
- Variant: Standard Release
- Genre: Platformer
- Year Released: 1989
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Tecmo
- ESRB Rating: E - Everyone
- UPC: 018946110073
- SKU: 9488
- Format: Original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game cartridge
- Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System 8-bit video game console
- Region: NTSC (North America, Canada)
Important Information
- *Save battery (if present) has been tested or replaced and is verified working at the time of listing.
- Photos show the exact item for sale — we never use stock images for used games.
- All used items are cleaned, tested, and 100% guaranteed to work.
- Backed by Retro Game Fan’s 60-day warranty.
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