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Neo Geo AES

Ninja Master’s: Haoh Ninpo Cho

Neo Geo AES

Neo Geo AES

Another one-on-one fighting game straight from the arcades for the Neo Geo. Ninja Master's (sic.) is set on feudal Japan, and tells the story of 10 unique ninjas who fight each other for their own personal reasons and the chance to defeat the evil Nobunaga and bring peace back to Japan. As exp...

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Developer
ADK

Released on
1996

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Neo Geo AES

Requirements
SNK Neo Geo AES

Downloads
Fighting

Publisher
SNK

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Description

Another one-on-one fighting game straight from the arcades for the Neo Geo. Ninja Master’s (sic.) is set on feudal Japan, and tells the story of 10 unique ninjas who fight each other for their own personal reasons and the chance to defeat the evil Nobunaga and bring peace back to Japan.

As expected for the genre, the game pits your selected character against a series of opponents in best-of-3 round matches, with your objective being to deplete your opponents health bar with your basic attacks, special moves (triggered by specific control motions) and super moves (which rely on a power gauge). All the characters in Ninja Master’s fight with their weapon of choice, but you can freely choose to put your weapon away and go mano a mano. This does not have a major impact on speed or attack power, but changes the movesets significantly changing the way even basic attacks work.

Uses 2D sprite-based graphics and features 1P or 2P Vs gameplay.

Ninja Master's: Haoh Ninpo Cho

Overview & History

Released by ADK and SNK in 1996 for the Neo Geo MVS and AES platforms, Ninja Master's: Haoh Ninpo Cho stands as a late-era, highly polished arcade fighting game set in a dark, fantasy-infused feudal Japan. The storyline centers around the tyrannical warlord Nobunaga Oda, who has been resurrected through dark sorcery to plunge the land into eternal chaos. To stop him, a diverse roster of twelve warriors—ranging from traditional shinobi and vagabond swordsmen to demonic entities and sorcerers—step forward to do battle. While the game initially flew somewhat under the radar compared to SNK's massive heavyweights like Samurai Shodown or The King of Fighters, it has since achieved cult-classic status among retro gaming enthusiasts for its blistering speed, gorgeously detailed sprite work, and unique weapon-switching mechanics.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Ninja Master's blends high-octane weapon combat with fluid hand-to-hand martial arts. One of its standout gameplay innovations is the "Super" transformation and weapon-draw system, allowing characters like Raoh, Kamui, and Kasumi to dynamically switch between bare-handed fighting stances and deadly weapon attacks mid-combat by pressing specific button combinations (A + B). The 4-button layout utilizes Weak Slash, Heavy Slash, Kick, and Throw inputs. Players can execute dazzling multi-hit combos, parry incoming strikes, and accumulate energy in a Super Special Move gauge. Filling this meter unleashes devastating cinematic Super Moves or ultimate "Extreme" desperation techniques that can completely turn the tide of a round. The character roster is remarkably well-balanced, featuring unique mechanics such as Blue Gale's swift wind-based projectiles and Karasu's teleportation ninjutsu, making spatial awareness and mastery of dash-canceling essential for high-level play.

Keyboard Controls

Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move / Crouch / Dash
Action Keys: A (Weak Slash), S (Heavy Slash), Z (Kick), X (Throw / Weapon Toggle)
Enter: Start / Pause