Kid Niki: Radical Ninja is a colorful 1986 arcade action-platformer developed by Irem and published by Data East. Players take on the role of the titular punk-rock ninja, Niki, as he battles his way through eight diverse stages to rescue Princess Margo from the evil Stone Wizard. Armed with his signature Spinning Sword, Niki must defeat waves of quirky enemies and massive, eccentric bosses in this vibrant and challenging side-scroller.
How to Play
The objective is to reach the end of each stage within the time limit and defeat the boss to progress. You can move left and right, jump over obstacles, and attack enemies with Niki’s Spinning Sword. Default arcade controls map movement to the arrow keys, with Z to jump and X to attack. You can also pick up power-ups like the Silver Bell to gain a projectile attack, but getting hit by an enemy or falling into a pit will cost you a life.
Tips
- Niki’s Spinning Sword has a very short range, so timing your attacks is crucial; get close enough to strike but be ready to retreat or jump away.
- When fighting bosses, pay close attention to their patterns, as each has a unique weakness or predictable movement cycle you must exploit.
- Keep an eye on the timer at the top of the screen; if you dally too long fighting respawning enemies, you might run out of time and lose a life.

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