DEVELOPMENT
How it was made
Developed by Tecmo in parallel with the unrelated arcade beat-'em-up of the same name, the NES game was directed by Hideo Yoshizawa and used cutscenes to deliver a more story-focused action experience.
EDITORIALLY VERIFIEDGAME00000010
1988
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Ryūkenden
Ninja Gaiden is a cinematic NES action-platformer starring Ryu Hayabusa, combining fast sword combat with dramatic story scenes.
THE GAME ALMANACNG
Ninja Gaiden
1988
FranchiseNinja Gaiden
GenrePlatformer / Action-Adventure
ThemeNinja Action / Revenge
PerspectiveSide-scrolling
ModeSingle-player
Still holds upYes
THE RECORD AT A GLANCE
What defines Ninja Gaiden?
Run, jump, cling to walls, slash enemies, use ninja arts and clear difficult action-platforming stages.
GOLD STANDARD EDITORIAL
The complete Almanac record
The workbook’s long-form editorial fields are presented here as a readable feature rather than a wall of database cells.HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
Why it matters
It helped popularise cinematic storytelling in NES action games and became famous for its difficulty and speed.
RECEPTION
How it was received
Praised for presentation, music and action, while its later stages are notorious for demanding precision.
LEGACY
What it left behind
Its cutscene-driven storytelling and fast ninja combat became defining elements of the franchise and influenced later action-platformers.
SALES
Commercial record
This editorial field is not yet populated.
NOTES
Almanac notes
Developer/publisher IDs corrected to Tecmo. Original Japanese title and release date verified.
CONNECTED HISTORY
One game, many pathways
Every node links back into the live game browser, already using the relationships imported from the spreadsheet.GAME RECORDNinja GaidenGAME00000010
DeveloperTecmoPublisherTecmoFranchiseNinja GaidenPlatformFamily ComputerPrimary genrePlatformerThemeAdventurePEOPLE
Creators and credits
Hideo YoshizawaDirector
Keiji YamagishiComposer
AWARDS
Recognition
Often cited as one of the NES's hardest and most memorable action games.
RELEASE RECORD
Family Computer
Release information is imported from the workbook’s relational release and platform tables.Release date1988-12-09
RegionJapan
EditionStandard
FormatPhysical
MediaCartridge
Display240p / 60 Hz
LIVE WORKBOOK IMPORT