Ninja Gaiden III

The name Ninja Gaiden evokes in players a respect mixed with a slight shiver down the spine, and rightly so. The version for the Atari Lynx from 1993, however, is not an exact imprint of the notoriously demanding NES game, but a distinctive action-platformer variation that goes its own way.

Instead of a faithful port, the Lynx offers multi-tiered levels through which the ninja slashes up and down, faces a varied palette of enemies and uses brisk, acrobatic moves to overcome traps. It's a design that draws more on the spirit of the series than it copies any specific installment, thereby avoiding the risk that the handheld couldn't bear the full complexity of the source.

Visually the game benefits from what the Lynx always had in abundance, namely smooth animation and colorful presentation. The ninja moves fluidly, his attacks have swing, and the whole action maintains the brisk pace that is key to the genre. The variety of enemies and environments then ensures that the gameplay doesn't grow stale and every tier brings something new.

The Ninja Gaiden series comes from the workshop of the Japanese Tecmo and became famous for two things: on the NES for cinematic interludes that pushed storytelling in games further, and in arcades for brutal difficulty. The Lynx version doesn't reach the renown of its predecessors, but as an action-platformer title it holds up and offers ninja action in portable form.

For fans of fast action and platformers this version is an accomplished, if somewhat overlooked, piece of the Lynx library. Don't expect an exact replica of the famous installments, but a standalone game that honors the name on the cover with solid design and a pleasant sense of movement.

Why play: For brisk ninja action with smooth animation and multi-tiered levels, an accomplished variation on a famous brand tailored for the handheld.