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The Last Ninja

NES

NES

With the scrolls now in his possession, The Last Ninja begins training a new order of Ninja. During a training session he is mysteriously transported to XXth-century New York. The Evil Shogun has returned! Torn from his own time, The Last Ninja must defend himself once more with nothing more than...

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Developer
Beam Software

Released on
1991

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Action

Publisher
Jaleco

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

With the scrolls now in his possession, The Last Ninja begins training a new order of Ninja. During a training session he is mysteriously transported to XXth-century New York. The Evil Shogun has returned! Torn from his own time, The Last Ninja must defend himself once more with nothing more than the belief in his own abilities.

Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance (Last Ninja on the NES) is an action/adventure game where the player, controlling a powerful ninja, must fight his way through opponents while collecting necessary items. The game is split into various levels, each of them depicting a different locale and divided into several screens. The view is isometric and the ninja can move in four different dimensions (he can also walk backwards) and jump.

Enemies, armed with fists and various ninja weapons, wander around the levels. The ninja must fight them either bare-handed or with the weaponry he finds along the way; in either case, he has a number of blows and attacks at his disposal, as well as the ability to block. There’s a special weapon, shuriken, which are thrown in a straight line rather than used for melee combat; if they strike an enemy, they’ll instantly kill or at least heavily damage him.

There are items scattered around the levels, such as keys, rope, a map or hamburgers (which restore health when eaten). Collecting these items and using them in a proper place is necessary for completing the game.

The Last Ninja

Overview & History

Originally a masterpiece of isometric action-adventure on 8-bit home computers, The Last Ninja was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991 by Jaleco. The storyline plunges players into feudal Japan as Armakuni, the final master of the ninja arts. Armakuni must journey to the treacherous Wastelands of Isosor Island to exact vengeance on the evil shogun Kunitoki, who has slaughtered his clan and stolen the sacred scrolls of the ninja. While retaining the iconic atmospheric soundtrack composed by Phil Sweeney and Matt Furniss, the NES version swapped the original computer isometric perspective for a more traditional side-scrolling action-platformer layout, giving it a distinct identity within the 8-bit library.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The gameplay emphasizes meticulous environmental exploration, platforming precision, and tactical martial arts combat. Unlike typical hack-and-slash titles, Armakuni must carefully manage his health and weapon inventories while traversing multi-tiered stages filled with traps, treacherous jumps, and aggressive samurai, beasts, and rival assassins. Throughout his quest, Armakuni can collect various offensive items such as shuriken, a katana sword, and nunchaku to gain an advantage over tougher foes. Players must master the rhythm of combat, utilizing distinct punch and kick combos while managing spacing. The level design heavily rewards patience and observation, as reckless rushing inevitably leads to falling into bottomless pits or walking into deadly ambushes.