Ninja Gaiden [NES] + R2RKMF: Scrolling Action Monogatari

[cicada88]

Speaking of Game Boy...are there any GB / GBC / GBA games that stack up to the FC/SFC games from Capcom, Sunsoft, Tecmo, Irem, Natsume and Konami?

If so recommendations?

[BIL]

I wouldn't say any of the GB games I've played are strictly better than their FC counterparts, but there are some comparably good ones worth owning if you've already got a solid library for the latter. Natsume's GB Ninja Ryukenden is quite excellent. I wrote a bit about it here - to summarise, it's closer to their Yami no Shigotonin Kage than the FC games, though the Tecmo influences are there. Certainly worth a look if you enjoy both companies' FC output.

Bionic Commando GB (uses the series' Western title in Japan) is genuinely better than the already brilliant FC game with regards to grappling. Where the former's arm is a little glitchy (though always consistently so), the GB's handles more smoothly and also benefits from the lower gravity. It also has much deadlier environments to swing through, a step beyond the FC's trickiest. Some of the later Areas have a distinct lack of floors. I got a SGB primarily for this game, Ghegs's recommendation of it was right on.

I also enjoy Dracula Densetsu II, but can't quite unequivocally recommend it due to the needlessly sluggish walk speed. It burns a little to go back to FC Dracula and realise Christopher walks about the same speed as Simon does in the intro. If you can forgive it that, it's got some quality action/platforming for sure, with some creative hazards not found elsewhere in the classic series. Its stages also go for a more Rockman-esque series of self-contained challenges, so the walk's impact is fairly minimised. I'm also a big fan of its enemies' RNG - the bats' skittery homing can be truly infuriating if not shut down immediately, and turrets + reapers make a nasty combo with their random trajectories. Solieyu Belmont's an excellent boss fight in the Doppleganger tradition, too. Game's best feature is ultimately its astonishingly good soundtrack, which totally elevates the whole experience. The unfortunately titled (and officially mis-spelled) "Psycho Warrior" in particular has a sublime melancholy in its verse and chorus melodies.

Finally, the original GB Contra is easily as good as the better-known FC games. I would actually say it's a tad better than Super Contra and just behind the original, having excellent pace and variety. After two totally solid opening stages, the third is a great hori/vertical hybrid of the FCs' respective waterfall and jungle areas with a cool recurring multipart boss. The fourth is packed to the rafters with stuff to blow away and some tense environmental danger. The last has some intense corridor shooting with a certain background detail Hard Corps fans will find familiar, and its lethal elevators demonstrate how vertical autoscrolling should be done after FC Super Contra's rather tame one (the GB's first stage has a snoozer, but it's brief and quickly done away with). The only thing I wish it had were runners with guns. A little short and easy overall, but the quality design means it's always satisfying to blast through. Bit like the also excellent GB Nemesis II.



^totally earns this

[BrianC]

Speaking of Game Boy...are there any GB / GBC / GBA games that stack up to the FC/SFC games from Capcom, Sunsoft, Tecmo, Irem, Natsume and Konami?

If so recommendations?

Capcom stuff is generally solid on GB. Megaman IV and V, Ducktales 1 and 2, Darkwing Duck, and Bionic Commando stack up very well compared to their NES counterparts. As far as GBA stuff goes, I found the Mega Man Zero series to stack up well compared to the X series and MMBN 2 and 3 are nice games in their own right (RPG-ish games with action/card based battles).

As far as Sunsoft goes, they are fairly solid, but some of their later stuff focused too much on huge sprites and lacked polish compared to their earlier GB stuff. I found Gremlins 2, Batman, and Looney Tunes to be pretty good. Their output was definitely better on NES, though. Sunsoft only has a few GBC games. I heard Blaster Master GBC is solid, but it's probably not as good as the NES version.

As far as Tecmo goes, Solomon's Club GB and Monster Rancher Explorer GBC (despite being called Solomon in Japan, that version still uses the Monster Rancher characters) are both solid portable versions of Solomon's Key. The latter even has a level editor. Tecmo Bowl, despite being outsourced, seems to be a nice port of the NES version. I haven't played any of their GBA output (which is mostly Monster Rancher).

A good chunk of Irem's stuff was outsourced and R-Type is decent, but lacks compared to other ports.

No Taito? They had a solid output on GB, including a nice US/EU SI port that has the option to play a SNES version when played on Super Gameboy. Elevator Action (updated version with power ups) and Bubble Bobble (not as good as NES and limited screen space, but still fun) are nice too.

Konami is one of the better developers on GB. I agree with the games BIL listed, but their shmups like Nemesis, Nemesis II/Gradius IA, and Twinbee Da are good stuff. Track and Field and Quarth hold up nicely compared to their NES/FC counterparts, as well. Motocross Maniacs is also good stuff. On GBA, Castlevania Circle of the Moon and Aria of Sorrow are both solid CV games. They play very different from the SNES games, though. Gradius Galaxies is a solid Gradius and lacks the slowdown of Gradius III on SNES.

[Squire Grooktook]

Played a bit more of Contra-like Super Cyborg. Have to partially retract my earlier complaint that the game has no randomness: While the zakos in the final stage do spawn in static waves, the last stage gives them the ability to randomly leap and crawl along the ceilings. Combine this with the devious platform placement, and you have some very large hoards of mildly unpredictable enemies coming at you from all 4 corners of the screen. Combine that with some environmental hazards that require an extremely high degree of precision, and you have a pretty tense and harrowing final gauntlet.

I also like that the last half of the final stage takes a page from Contra 4 in showing that the alien bio tech has the same secret ingredient as Soylent Green. Got some nice hellish art design going on there.

It's just too bad the final bosses first phase is excruciatingly boring (a long, drawn out affair built around camping out while holding auto fire and waiting for weakpoints to appear). Though the following phases are a lot better.

[BIL]

I also like that the last half of the final stage takes a page from Contra 4 in showing that the alien bio tech has the same secret ingredient as Soylent Green. Got some nice hellish art design going on there.

Love this stuff. Did you notice the chestbursted (or maybe just snacked on?) dudes stuck around Gyaba's front door in AC Super Contra btw? I'd been blasting the obstacle to oblivion for like a week before I actually spotted them, haha. To be fair I'd usually have a shit-ton of spiders in hot pursuit while doing so.

Regarding Irem on GB, I did check out Spartan X recently. Seemed solid enough, but nothing that made me feel it'd complement the FC version the way GB Contra or Bionic Commando do. Has a neat-ish new kickflip that's fun to trigger (you can jump, kick, then kickflip midbosses/bosses in a sort of basic aerial rave). The recovery frames will get you into trouble quickly though. Also a throwable bomb that I didn't think much of at all!

[Squire Grooktook]

I also like that the last half of the final stage takes a page from Contra 4 in showing that the alien bio tech has the same secret ingredient as Soylent Green. Got some nice hellish art design going on there.

Love this stuff. Did you notice the chestbursted (or maybe just snacked on?) dudes stuck around Gyaba's front door in AC Super Contra btw? I'd been blasting the obstacle to oblivion for like a week before I actually spotted them, haha. To be fair I'd usually have a shit-ton of spiders in hot pursuit while doing so.

Oh shit, is that the jp version only? I never noticed that, and I'm watching some videos to try and spot it, but I can't find it.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UB-1-cWR0o&t=10m05s

They're on the walls on either side of the door you shoot open right before the final boss.

[cicada88]

Thanks BIL and BrianC for the GB reccs--I'll definitely check them out after I get through some of these FC/NES games. Also, I didn't mean to exclude any good developer through my criteria, I was just giving some examples of developers with strong 8-Bit track records.

[Squire Grooktook]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UB-1-cWR0o&t=10m05s

They're on the walls on either side of the door you shoot open right before the final boss.

Ooooh that wall. Yeah, I never saw that. Or at least, I didn't recognize them as being humanoid shapes, just saw it as a bunch of meat moss in the heat of the moment. Nice touch for sure.

[BIL]

I love all the little details like that. Stuff like the stage 1 heli's hammering engine beneath its destroyed armour, and the jungle foliage encroaching at the exit of stage 2, and the killer homing foetuses of stage 4. Also stuff like the characters not respawning, but visibly getting back up after taking a hit, and the switch to differing firearms rather than letter icons (as awkward as this can be). You can tell they were going for a state of the art "realistic" style with all this, and far from it seeming dated today, I find it quite endearing when combined with the ludicrous 80s scifi/action theme. It still feels a big flame-belching arcade machine.

I also really dig the hideous, leering faces on bosses #3 and #5 (fakeout). That evilly contented smile on the former's face before it starts attacking proper, brr! Awesome stuff. edit: okay, just checked the vid - I always forget just how pants shittingly terrifying arcade Gyaba is. He's kinda pitiful in the FC version, in AC he's distinctly a sharkmouthed behemoth with Greyhound-sized snakes for arms, all three of whose jaws could gnash an armed man to gristle and tinfoil in one nip. I wish the center head could inch forward and snap a bit but the enraged hissing is good enough.

Just discovered GB Contra has a second loop (at least), nice. Stuff takes a smidge more damage and shoots earlier and more frequently. I wonder if it goes any further ala FC Contra. Shooting runners in the hori stages would be really nice, they're the FC game's best feature imo (especially as they're totally unmarked, unlike Super/Spirits... or maybe it's simply that any runner can fire at random? I wonder).

I had a friggin' dream that one aimed up 45' and shot me out of a jump, haha.

[Squire Grooktook]

Even on the Nes version, I always loved that split faced/multi faced weirdo in Super C. Shame that that's one enemy design that's never really been revisted. In fact, even outside of Contra there should be more love for monsters with more than one head merged together, heheh.

Also never noticed the expression the stage 3 boss has in AC Super C when you first enter. Very cool. I'm still playing the game, working on a 1cc/1lc. Definitely have come to enjoy it in spite of its flaws.

A bit over due, but I have to thank you for the Gigantic Army recommendation a few monthes back too Bil. Totally loved the game, especially the second half when things start getting intense. I love how jet packing vs fighting on the ground feels like such an even trade off in some of the more intense fights. Lot of risk/reward going on there, since you can dodge a lot of stuff either way but it's a different sort of challenge/maneuver for each option. I was thinking I'd try an Insane Clear with no Sub-Weapons, but currently have that on back burner since I kept getting Restart Syndrome from taking damage on the first boss lol (surprisingly tricky to dodge certain set ups if he lives too long)

I was thinking I might try a 1cc of a Castlevania when I next get a chance. Briefly revisiting Castlevania 1 after all those Contra and fast paced run and gun shooters is quite an interesting contrast. Makes you feel so human and vulnerable when you go from being able to dodge and blaze through everything to a game where simply doing a basic attack at the wrong time could leave you trapped (got a similar feel playing Metal Storm for the first time earlier, though you can dodge a lot more freely, still makes you feel like a wary space commando carefully taking care not to expose oneself to enemy fire).

I know a lot of people are partial to Rondo and Castlevania x68000, but I'd be interested in hearing the merits of the rest of the side scroller franchise. In particular, which games would you guys say have the most fun and well designed boss fights overall? I credit fed through 1/3/4 as a kid but barely remember most of the strategies now (except maybe CV1).

[BrianC]

doh. Forgot about the Hammerin' Harry/Daiku no Gensan GB b/w games. I heard good things about both and I liked what I tried of them.

[BIL]

Gigantic Army is so awesome. It retroactively got me into all the great 16-bit mecha sidescrollers, and it still holds up formidably whenever I revisit. My favourite feature is the Metal Slug-style automelee on that brutal pilebunker; totally seamless hovering over a hard target's projectiles to get in close and hammer it to scrap.

I also really like how shielding was handled - instantly active (even during dashes) and totally invincible, but only in one direction, unavailable while jumping, and guard metered. Excellent balance, and like the automelee a genuine improvement on its inspiration Valken, where blocking is free and bidirectional.

Vampire Killer is my favourite Dracula, and one of my favourite action sidescrollers period. Of the four 16-bit sequels to the FC games, it's got my favourite update of their mechanics (with Rondo in second, followed by X68k and finally SFC). VK characters move quickly. Their basic weapons can strike above or below, with varying strength as needed. They have i-framed special moves. Their subweapons are devastating, and launchable from any situation via dedicated button. They can freely hop on or off stairs, and can freely change their attacking direction while in the air - extremely useful for retreating while scoring hits.

At the same time, jumps remain irrevocable - underneath all these amenities, controlled reaction is still paramount. You cannot Contra your way out of a bad or panicked decision as in X68k and SFC (Rondo's got a good compromise - hold the jump button for one opportunity to reverse air direction, or release it to volte-face as in VK). As someone who hates sluggish characters (see Dracula XX) but loves accountability, VK's ideal much like the FC Ninja Gaidens. Actually I think it moves a bit closer to NG without leaving Dracula territory, no bad thing!

It also looks and sounds gorgeous - best enemy sprites and backgrounds of the classic series, with a great early 20th century European tour concept) - and has tons of varied minibosses and bosses. Enemies great and small move with lots of personality, and die spectacularly. Very much Hard Corps' companion piece, though VK's level designs maintain much more of the earlier games' action/platforming.

Start of stage 3 is one of my favourite sidescrolling action things ever

I actually recommend the Genesis version, Bloodlines, if you want the best challenge - its "Expert" difficulty, unlockable via Konami code at the title screen, is a smidgen harder than VK's equivalent with a slightly higher damage scale. I think all four 16-bit Draculas are very much worth playing (ignoring XX) but for pure action VK's my absolute favourite.

[Ed Oscuro]

Like an American ninja, haha. Never really did like the rather threadbare-looking opening of Stage 3, but the minotaurs are a neat touch. I do like how this stage chugs straight into nutsville with the level design overall, though usually I like the more detailed stages. No hesitation that I could see in this playthrough...pretty inspiring!

Was just thinking that I'm hard-pressed to find many SNES games I care to play through. I have a good number of great imports, but the loose carts are usually kinda crappy. Sparkster aside, maybe, the SNES certainly got the poorer end of the Konami franchises. Super CV IV is great overall, I think, but I don't care for its extreme length, filler spots, and the rough edges like the mudmen causing slowdown.

[BIL]

I really dig a well-maintained lawn :3 (no doubt aided by all the harpy decapitations that tend to occur there!). Though admittedly my most cherished oldschool CV memory is the first game's opening amble down the garden path. After Contra and Ninja Gaiden's rollicking starts I didn't know what to make of being "outside" at all. Bloodlines stage 5 is the real highlight imo, shit looks expensive (and that MD pseudotransparency shadow effect! shame about the foreground layer glitch before the fountain but oh wellz).

also spoilered as it's a cool moment, DARE YOU TO THE DRACULA SECURITY SYSTEM:

Spoiler

"crumbs, I need to adjust that jum-BWAAAAAAA" <-zero tolerance

I regard IV as the movie Dracula these days. The first half isn't all that interesting to play but it works great on overcast/rainy evenings when there's some time to spare. I always start on the second loop these days to give the "outdoors" stages a bit more pressure but it's really all preamble.

[Ed Oscuro]

Spoiler

Back in the day when "Dracula's Magic" was really just Dracula's Magic (aided by nothing more than the sinful depredations of cult followers on virgin blood).

Now I'm wondering what's goofier: Mr. Hed or Keanu Reeves? I think that the style of SCVIV actually holds up better than the haunted house set design and plaster cross destruction of the film - so long as you're not in a rotating well or something.

[Ruldra]

Gigantic Army is so awesome. It retroactively got me into all the great 16-bit mecha sidescrollers, and it still holds up formidably whenever I revisit.

I bought it on Steam a few weeks ago and enjoyed it very much. It's worth mentioning that the Steam version nerfed the beam cannon so you need 2 shots to kill bosses now. A fair re-balance as it was too OP in the original version.

One of the Steam achievements is to 1cc insane mode with 18 million points. That score is pretty close to the potential limit of the game. Kyper barely took damage in his run and he only broke 18mil when he killed the final boss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve_fI_BYGrc

I tried to get that achievement but had to settle with a 12mil score. It's not that much difficult to 1cc insane mode but playing for score is a whole different beast.

[BIL]

Now I'm wondering what's goofier: Mr. Hed or Keanu Reeves? I think that the style of SCVIV actually holds up better than the haunted house set design and plaster cross destruction of the film - so long as you're not in a rotating well or something.

It occasionally gets a little too wacky with its colour selections (purple+lime green bricks in the banquet hall? hell nawww), but I do think IV's quite beautifully downcast at its better points. In particular the elegant decor of the boss rush area and its bleak skyline backdrop - great sense of being high up, literally and figuratively. The dungeons and treasury look pretty great too, and flesh out the castle nicely. I also like how the early game is set on Dracula's estate, not merely "Transylvanian countryside." Lots of open land and outbuildings to pick through before you're ever in sight of the main property. Instead of passing through Atlantis and Rotation Station, I wish there was simply more of the stuff you'd expect to find in a nobleman's neglected, decaying estate, like the earlier stables and overgrown woodland paths.

This is partially why I hate Lament of Innocence's boxy Wolf3D world so much. >_< Castlevania 64's villa is more the sort of stuff I'd like to see before entering the Demon Castle proper.

One of the Steam achievements is to 1cc insane mode with 18 million points. That score is pretty close to the potential limit of the game. Kyper barely took damage in his run and he only broke 18mil when he killed the final boss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve_fI_BYGrc

I tried to get that achievement but had to settle with a 12mil score. It's not that much difficult to 1cc insane mode but playing for score is a whole different beast.

Good to hear it's being played for score. I always thought it nailed a good basic run n' gun scoring system. Clearing stages swiftly while remaining unscathed really forces you to master the mech's handling.

[GSK]

Speaking of Game Boy...are there any GB / GBC / GBA games that stack up to the FC/SFC games from Capcom, Sunsoft, Tecmo, Irem, Natsume and Konami?

If so recommendations?

As far as GB/C goes, pretty much everything worth mentioning is a port/derivation of a console game, so you'll do okay by just sticking to established names.

GBA fared a little better when it came to original titles, but most GBA action games are more modern in design than what you're after. Ninja 5-0 is an obvious exception, I'm sure something else will spring to mind later.

[BrianC]

As far as GB/C goes, pretty much everything worth mentioning is a port/derivation of a console game, so you'll do okay by just sticking to established names.

I highly disagree here. A good chunk of NES games worth playing are derived from arcade games, but still have unique elements, and that is also the case with the GB games derived from console games. There are plenty of original titles like Motocross Maniacs, F1 Race, Wave Race, Great Greed, and Kwirk that are worth playing and some derived games like Balloon Kid, Wario Land 1-3, Zelda, Super Mario Land 1-2, and Gargoyle's Quest are very different from the source and play great in their own right. I also found that some of the better GBC games worth playing weren't derived from other sources. Shantae, Xtreme Sports, and Toki Tori are good examples of this.

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm, that was disappointing:

Played Super Bonk for the first time in years, and went most of the game no-death despite not having played much past the first couple of levels. I died a couple times early on getting my groove back, then didn't die at all until the boss rush. Got through that, then the game decided to throw an unwinnable situation at me; I got stuck at the end of the first couple spike hallways in Stage 6 with no items to boost me. Decided to call it a day. Somewhere around 847K points. Not bad - I like how this game has tons of details built out of sprites, all kinds of versions of Bonk, and of course its tendency to turn most bottomless pit scenarios into something new and humorous to get out of. I enjoy many of the methods used to get around, but entrapment by big sprite and also getting over certain ledges are a couple things that annoy me.

The bonus stages get repetitive in a hurry though. It'll be a while before I try this one again.

[GSK]

As far as GB/C goes, pretty much everything worth mentioning is a port/derivation of a console game, so you'll do okay by just sticking to established names.

I highly disagree here. A good chunk of NES games worth playing are derived from arcade games, but still have unique elements, and that is also the case with the GB games derived from console games. There are plenty of original titles like Motocross Maniacs, F1 Race, Wave Race, Great Greed, and Kwirk that are worth playing and some derived games like Balloon Kid, Wario Land 1-3, Zelda, Super Mario Land 1-2, and Gargoyle's Quest are very different from the source and play great in their own right. I also found that some of the better GBC games worth playing weren't derived from other sources. Shantae, Xtreme Sports, and Toki Tori are good examples of this.

Sure, but none of those games are FC-style action games of the type commonly associated with the devs he mentioned.

My broader point was that the GB/C library doesn't have nearly as many "deep cuts" as the console libraries--if a game's worth getting excited about, chances are you already know of it. You could put that down to the overabundance of licensed titles, or the bigger proportion of western-made games, or just the fact that it was a second-tier system when compared to arcade and console, I dunno.

[cicada88]

My broader point was that the GB/C library doesn't have nearly as many "deep cuts" as the console libraries--if a game's worth getting excited about, chances are you already know of it. You could put that down to the overabundance of licensed titles, or the bigger proportion of western-made games, or just the fact that it was a second-tier system when compared to arcade and console, I dunno.

Either way I appreciate his recommendations. While I owned a GB and quite a few games back when I was younger, my tastes have changed and I'm surprisingly in the dark about what's good on the system.

Of course I know about most of the first party Mario, Zelda, Metroid, but even for series that I knew existed on the system (Rockman, Dracula, Contra) I didn't know whether any of the games are rated by anyone.

Anyway, thanks again for the input

[GSK]

Fair enough, I just assumed that anyone who posts here would already be familiar with all the big-name games so I didn't think they needed mentioning.

Tangentially related to this topic: a bunch of ex-Technos dudes made two licensed brawler-ish GBC games for Activision back in the day: an X-Men game and a game based on Blade, the vampire hunter movie. Neither game is great--the Blade game is an interesting mix of brawling, swordfighting and crosshair shooting but piss-easy and short, and the X-Men game is all-around bad--but they definitely look/feel like Technos games, so it's fun to watch Wesley Snipes throw out the DD2 flying knee and so on.

[CIT]

I closed the circle and got the Ninja Ryukenden III clear today. Great game, enjoy it almost as much as part one. In some ways it is the shinobification (floatier controls) and striderization (sword powerups — btw, a great counterbalance to the diminished sword hitbox it inherited from part two) of Ninja Gaiden. The graphics are among the best I've seen on Famicom, and the more energetic and bass-heavy music (compared to NRII) is great.

Now Master System Ninja Gaiden awaits!

[BIL]

I think III's 2-1 (desert) and 7-1 (battleship exterior) are the single most beautiful scenes the FC ever produced. That parallax is rich, more something I'd expect from the MD, and the use of colour and detail is superb. All runs without a hint of slowdown and virtually no sprite breakup either - Tecmo's NG teams were beasts. Dynamite soundtrack too, I love how off-kilter and explosive it gets, especially with the NGII synth strings employed for some decidedly dark, weird melodies. The BGM first heard in the jungle's "gigantic tree" area sounds particularly turbulent. A great FC action game soundtrack in decidedly non-anthemic, non-upbeat yet still furiously driven mode. Also packs a worthy successor to II's lovely "Unlimited Moment."

Funny how the FC NGs' parallax stomps the hell outta the PCE and SFC iterations'. ^__^ Well, more sad than funny in the SFC's case, but Tomoe/Trilogy is rather a fiasco anyway.

Interested to hear what you think of the SMS one, I keep forgetting about it! Still haven't gotten around to the PCE version... also, if you haven't already, make sure to give Natsume's GB one a go. As noted above it's much closer in style to their more methodical Kage than the twitchy chasm-skirting intensity of Tecmo's FC trilogy, with NG influence limited to a much simpler weapon system - but it's no bad thing, as Kage's a damn fine ninja sidescroller in its own right, and not having to worry about weapon powerdowns is frankly a relief. Typically outstanding Natsume handling and audiovisuals (some neat parallax and remarkable, super-violent explosions), plus really satisfying level designs - especially in the last couple stages (best Autoscrolling Elevator Sequence I've ever seen). Currently the only non-FC NG in my collection, though I still need to check out the SMS and PCE ones.

[CIT]

I've heard bad things about PC Engine Ninja Ryukenden in the meantime, and from people whose opinion can be trusted. Hmm...

I was just gonna play the Master System one. Usually I play MD on the Wondermega, but the power base adapter (to play SMS games) won't fit on it, so I had to bust out the Mega Drive 1 model, at which point I discovered I've misplaced my Mega Drive AC adapter. :/
Ordered a new one, which should take a couple of days to arrive...

So I guess that means Kage just jumped ahead in the line.

From the little bit I've played I'm already curious about GB Ninja Gaiden. Kage and Ninja Gaiden are quite different in gameplay style, so it should be interesting how the two mesh.

[BrianC]

Interested to hear what you think of the SMS one, I keep forgetting about it! Still haven't gotten around to the PCE version... also, if you haven't already, make sure to give Natsume's GB one a go. As noted above it's much closer in style to their more methodical Kage than the twitchy chasm-skirting intensity of Tecmo's FC trilogy, with NG influence limited to a much simpler weapon system - but it's no bad thing, as Kage's a damn fine ninja sidescroller in its own right, and not having to worry about weapon powerdowns is frankly a relief. Typically outstanding Natsume handling and audiovisuals (some neat parallax and remarkable, super-violent explosions), plus really satisfying level designs - especially in the last couple stages (best Autoscrolling Elevator Sequence I've ever seen). Currently the only non-FC NG in my collection, though I still need to check out the SMS and PCE ones.

There's also the GG one, but I wasn't overly impressed with what I tried of it. It also has the oddity of down + B for subweapons.

[CIT]

What's there of Game Gear Ninja Gaiden isn't bad. It's just that it's really really short and incredibly easy, so you'll be done with it in 20 minutes (that includes the cutscenes).

[cicada88]

You guys always forget the Atari Lynx version of Ninja Gaiden...