The Ninja Warriors

The Ninja Warriors

Overview & History

Originally a 1987 Taito arcade classic celebrated for its sprawling triple-wide cabinet screen, The Ninja Warriors received a phenomenal and faithful port for the TurboGrafx-16’s PC Engine CD-ROM² format in 1993. Set in a dystopian, alternate-history future ruled by the tyrannical dictator Banglar in the year 1993, the plot follows the desperate resistance movement led by a scientist who constructs two lethal, human-like cyborgs. Disguised as ordinary civilians, these cybernetic assassins are deployed into the heart of the enemy's stronghold to single-handedly dismantle the regime. Unlike standard beat-'em-ups that feature multidirectional scrolling, this game is strictly a 2D, single-plane side-scroller where you relentlessly march forward from left to right, hacking through waves of armed soldiers, mutant beasts, and heavily armored mech bosses.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Players can choose between two distinct cyborg warriors: Ninja, the balanced male android equipped with a deadly katana and throwing knives, and Kunoichi, the agile female model wielding a traditional Japanese sickle (kama) and explosive shuriken. The combat system relies on a health-bar-based endurance system rather than limited lives, forcing players to master defensive positioning. Both characters feature a devastating close-quarters combo system, a ranged projectile attack, a back-attack to handle flanking enemies, and a screen-clearing smart bomb that sacrifices a portion of your own health to obliterate every onscreen minion. As you sustain damage, your cybernetic shell visibly chips away, exposing glowing red wires and metallic endoskeletons—a visually striking mechanic that dramatically conveys your dwindling vitality.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause