🎮 Play Shadow of the Ninja Online (NES)

Released by Natsume for the NES in 1990, Shadow of the Ninja is a fast-paced action platformer that stands alongside the 8-bit era’s best ninja games. You play as the assassins Hayate or Kaede—either solo or in a rare two-player cooperative mode—in a mission to infiltrate Emperor Garuda’s futuristic stronghold.

How to play

Fight your way through multiple stages of robotic enemies and treacherous platforming. You start with a katana, but can pick up a kusarigama for extended reach or shurikens for ranged attacks. A defining mechanic is the ability to hang from the underside of certain platforms to avoid attacks or traverse gaps.

Use the Arrow Keys to move and crouch. Press Z to jump and X to attack. Press Enter to start or pause the game. You can attack while crouching, jumping, or hanging.

Tips

• Taking damage with an upgraded weapon will cause it to downgrade, so prioritize dodging over trading hits with enemies.
• If you find yourself in a tight spot, you can hold down the attack button to unleash a screen-clearing special attack, though it costs half your remaining life.
• Learn to comfortably catch the undersides of platforms, as later levels require precise hanging and dropping to progress.