For me, growing up in the 80s, ninjas were the coolest thing ever. We made our own throwing stars (as they were called back then), made karate sticks (which were called nunchakus back then) in woodwork class, sewed ninja hats, and watched every ninja-themed film we could get our hands on. We also had the GI Joe giants Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, and towards the end of the decade, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appeared.
Even today, ninjas continue to put me in an unreasonably good mood. Every time a ninja game appears in the editorial office, you can be sure that I will throw myself at it wildly and frantically, and I am happy to buy collector's editions and modern ninja games for Mega Drive and other platforms via Kickstarter. After playing through the excellent Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and the not-so-excellent Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, I have now decided to crown the world's best ninja game.
I thought about doing a top 10, but quickly realised that it would be completely impossible because there are far too many good ones. Therefore, it had to be a top 20 in two parts, which was also a tough challenge where a lot had to be cut.
What constitutes a ninja game is open to debate. If it's enough to have a ninja in it, then games such as Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones and Street Fighter 6 would qualify, so I require that at least one protagonist be a fully-fledged ninja who is also described as a ninja.
The other day, I ranked places 20-11, and now it's time for the world's ten best ninja games of all time.
10. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Xbox 360 - 2007)
I don't actually know how it happened that Ubisoft suddenly released two Naruto games exclusively for Xbox 360, while Bandai Namco made Naruto games for other formats. But... they did it better than anyone else, and instead of half-baked fighting, we were treated to a genuine Naruto simulator in and around the ninja village of Konoha. When I played it for the first time, I didn't really realise how brilliant it was, but since then I've replayed it loads of times and can confirm that it's one of the best manga/anime and ninja games in the world.
9. Shadow Warriors (NES - 1988)
Don't be fooled, behind the modest name Shadow Warriors actually hides the first Ninja Gaiden. Just like in the case of Blue Shadow from the previous article, the word ninja was removed from the title to save Europe's youth from ruin. I suppose we are now saved, as the Ninja Gaiden series has long since been renamed Ninja Gaiden again, and it all started with this game. It had both a ground-breaking presentation with cool cutscenes and offered rock-hard, lightning-fast action of a kind we rarely saw on the NES. A true masterpiece that still holds up today.
8. Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance (Commodore 64 - 1987)
I was only ten years old when The Last Ninja 2 was released, and my parents didn't like the idea of ninja games. So my brothers and I had to sneak around with our gaming until one day we were caught and had to return the game to the slightly older neighbour we had borrowed it from. But shame on those who give up. I played this game to death, and even today it remains a unique ninja game that focuses more on adventure and puzzles than action. Combined with what was then outstanding graphics and even more outstanding music, this is a timeless classic.
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch - 2002)
I included Turtles in Time on my last list, but there is actually an even better game with ninja turtles, namely Shredder's Revenge. Here, up to six people (four on PlayStation, but that's enough) can play local co-op on really well-designed levels and with gameplay worthy of the early 90s arcades. This is by far the best Turtles game ever, and so entertaining that it deserves seventh place on this list.
6. Strider (Mega Drive - 1990)
I mainly played Super Nintendo back in the day, and I remember how incredibly jealous I was when I saw the awesome Strider for Mega Drive. Not only did it feature lightning-fast battles with plasma swords, but Capcom's hero could also climb walls, hang from ceilings, and throw himself acrobatically through the levels. The game stood out with its futuristic science-fiction environments, spectacular bosses, and a pace that felt much more dynamic than most contemporary action games. Strider simply set the standard for how a modern ninja game should feel and look.
5. The Messenger (Switch - 2018)
Of course, the ninja of popular culture often has little to do with its real-life counterpart, and its heyday was in the 1980s. Perhaps that is why the concept of ninja games and retro go so well together, and The Messenger is one of the best modern ninja games because it manages to combine classic retro action with clever new ideas. The adventure begins as a traditional 8-bit platform game with tight controls, challenging enemies, and fast-paced combat, but gradually develops into a more open adventure with exploration and Metroidvania elements. Its pixel graphics, well-written dialogue, and dynamic soundtrack reinforce the feeling of a tribute to the classics, while the innovative time travel between 8 and 16-bit styles gives it its own identity. The Messenger shows how to honour the legacy of ninja games while renewing the genre in a surprising and memorable way.
4. Mark of the Ninja (Xbox 360 - 2012)
I don't really like stealth at all (I'm rubbish at it, there I said it). But... I can't skip Mark of the Ninja, the game that for the first time seriously managed to translate the basics of the ninja concept - sneaking, observing, and striking in the shadows - into a 2D adventure. It offered a very distinctive cartoon style and a well-thought-out stealth system that really rewards patience, planning, and creativity. Not even I could resist the steamroller of quality and innovation that is this game, and for those who want a slightly more authentic ninja feel and great flexibility, there is probably nothing better than Mark of the Ninja.
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One - 2019)
I'm not really a FromSoftware fan, although I obviously have the utmost respect for their titles. But... Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice features ninjas, so I had to play it. And that was fortunate, because its versatile gameplay, first-class graphics and beautiful environments in Sengoku-period Japan make this one of the best ninja games ever. It combines intense sword duels with stealth, tactics, and survival, as well as FromSoftware's almost patented level of difficulty. When packaged in a well-written revenge story and largely avoiding the clichés of the ninja world (which I certainly have nothing against), the result was a lavish ninja game of a kind we hadn't seen since Ninja Gaiden II. A masterpiece, in short.
2. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Mega Drive - 1993)
Now we're getting close to the top, and I actually considered putting this one at the top of the list. It's one of the best games released during the 16-bit era and an adventure that is just as entertaining today as it was when it was released. It combines outstanding graphics with great variety in gameplay, rock-hard bosses, all the ninja mumbo jumbo you could wish for, spot-on game controls, and just the right level of difficulty. This is Joe Musashi's finest adventure of all-time, and had it not been for the comeback of a certain Ryu Hayabusa in the first half of the 2000s, this game would have won.
1. Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox - 2005)
Actually, it feels a bit like cheating to choose an updated version like this. Ninja Gaiden Black is Ninja Gaiden, but as it would have looked if there had been real updates and DLC at the time. It was sold as a separate game, even though it was a relatively minor improvement on the 2004 Ninja Gaiden (the same applies to Ninja Gaiden Sigma, which was worse in several ways). But I don't care. Ninja Gaiden was brilliant and would have ranked extremely high on this list, but it had a wayward camera, and fixing this, along with a few other minor issues, made it the ultimate ninja experience. We're talking animations, graphics, and action combined with the world of production and excessive violence in a way that made Tomonobu Itagaki the most renowned Japanese game developer of his era. Ryu Hayabussa's adventures really had it all, and several moments from it stand out as some of the best I've ever played. The fact that it can be enjoyed in 4K thanks to the backward compatibility of the Xbox Series X means that even today, it's an experience everyone should give a chance. It is and remains my ultimate ninja dream.
...and with that said, what are your absolute favourite ninja games?
