Ninja Golf (7800)

Imagine golf. Now add a ninja who, on the way from the tee to the hole, has to defeat hordes of attacking opponents, jump over snakes, and at the end of every hole take down a boss. Yes, you read that right - Ninja Golf is exactly as gloriously absurd as it sounds, and it's one of the most memorable curiosities of the Atari 7800 console.

The game was released by Atari in 1990 and was one of the last titles produced directly for the 7800 ProSystem. The Atari 7800 came out as the successor to the 2600 with better graphics and backward compatibility, but the market was already dominated by Nintendo and Sega. Ninja Golf was thus created at a time when the 7800 was fading, and perhaps that is precisely why its creators allowed themselves such a crazy idea.

The mechanic combines two genres that absolutely do not belong together. First, as in golf, you drive the ball toward the hole. But then you control a ninja who has to run to the ball on foot and, along the way in side-scrolling, take out enemies with kicks, punches, and thrown stars. At the hole a boss fight also awaits you. Only then does the next shot follow. It's a mix of sport and beat 'em up action unlike anything else.

It's precisely that utter unexpectedness that makes Ninja Golf a cult affair. In an era when sports games were taken seriously, along came a title that made fun of the genre and combined it with the ninja madness then popular throughout pop culture. Today it belongs among the most frequently cited oddities of the entire Atari 7800 library and holds a firm place among collectors.

Thanks to 7800 emulation, you can easily play Ninja Golf on modern handhelds and in the browser, and it's worth it for the sheer experience of disbelief. It's a game that makes you laugh and yet is surprisingly good fun.

Why play: A brilliantly zany fusion of golf and ninja action. One of the most unforgettable curiosities of the Atari 7800.