Ninja Gaiden (GG)

The name Ninja Gaiden sounds like a synonym for merciless difficulty and brutal action — and even the pocket rendition on the Game Gear upholds that reputation. It's a fast, uncompromising action platformer in which a ninja hacks through hordes of enemies in a tale full of revenge and shadow craft.

At the heart of the experience is brisk movement and an emphasis on reflexes. The hero slashes with a katana up close, climbs and jumps across the levels, and gradually acquires supplementary techniques and throwing weapons that change the rhythm of combat. The pace is high — the game demands that the player read enemy placement, time jumps across pits and make no needless mistakes, because every hit hurts. That „learn the route and clear it clean“ philosophy is characteristic of the brand.

On the Game Gear, which Sega built as a color pocket answer to the Game Boy, it stands out above all for its striking graphics and the contrasting colors of enemies and environments. The color display gives the action a legibility the monochrome competition lacked, which in a fast game that's all about precision means a real advantage.

Ninja Gaiden in general ranks among the icons of the 8- and 16-bit action era, and the ninja as a gaming archetype literally ruled the screens in the late eighties and the nineties. This handheld version fits into that wave — it's pure, concentrated action made for short, intense portions of on-the-road play.

Anyone who loves a challenge and doesn't fear repeated attempts will find exactly what the name Ninja Gaiden promises: tension, speed and the satisfaction of finally clearing a passage that had destroyed you ten times before.

Why play: Fast and uncompromising ninja action for your pocket, for players who love a challenge and precise controls with the fabled „Gaiden“ difficulty.