How spirited about Ninja Spirit are you?

[grolt]

The only thing it really lacks is the arcade version's far superior-sounding music; Irem games on the system sound all fairly weak to me compared to the originals.

Compared to the original? Yes. On its own. I enjoy it well enough.

One thing to point out is that the game drips with a wonderfully dark atmosphere, a highlight being the dire moonlit stage 3. The juxtaposition of the open sky and your impaired movement in the marsh is beautiful. The creepy surreality of the ninja pit also ranks high in my book - it's really like you are descending into ninja hell.

Man, seconded! I just love this atmosphere.  Great atmosphere is the difference between a great game and a masterpiece.

I also just love the "shoot em up" feel it gives off. More than any other platformer except run n guns, Ninja Spirit really captures the feeling of space shooters, but with swords and ancient Japan. I think it's that superior "firepower" that just destroys all. Although maybe it's ninja platformers in general, because Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi  kind of give off that feeling, too, but Ninja Spirit encapsulates it perfectly.

Do you like Tonma? I play that one more than Ninja Spirit. It's an Irem platformer that is pretty similar in the shmup feel.

Ninja Spirit is an all-time classic though. I think I beat Arcade mode once, but the extra ending wasn't worth it.

Didn't know there was an extra ending...now I might have to finish it all over again.

[VenomMacbeth]

I can get into most any decent platformer with ninjas involved, and Spirit is one of the best. 

My only complaint is how some bosses will go down too quickly if you use the right weapons, but I suppose this just makes it so I may actually beat the game one day...

[lukester]

I can get into most any decent platformer with ninjas involved, and Spirit is one of the best. 

My only complaint is how some bosses will go down too quickly if you use the right weapons, but I suppose this just makes it so I may actually beat the game one day...

If you manage to make it to the final level, you will encounter a ninja pit. Use a video walk through to find the safe spot or its instant death.

[Black Tiger]

The music and sound in PCE Ninja Spirit is great and overall much better than the arcade soundtrack. The IREM sound for PCE games wasn't used effectively in most releases, but Ninja Spirit PCE stands out among all 16-bit games.

[Gentlegamer]

I think Ninja Spirit and Splatterhouse were two early arcade conversions that made Genesis fans jealous.

[grolt]

I think Ninja Spirit and Splatterhouse were two early arcade conversions that made Genesis fans jealous.

Seeing as the Genesis had two exclusive Splatterhouse sequels and countless SEGA arcade ports (not to mention all the Shinobi games), Genesis fans probably weren't losing too much sleep over the lack of those two games...but they should have!

[esteban]

I think Ninja Spirit and Splatterhouse were two early arcade conversions that made Genesis fans jealous.

Seeing as the Genesis had two exclusive Splatterhouse sequels and countless SEGA arcade ports (not to mention all the Shinobi games), Genesis fans probably weren't losing too much sleep over the lack of those two games...but they should have!

Splatterhouse 2 & 3 came out much later for Genesis. At least 2 years?

At least, that's what I think happened—I played the Henny versions when they were released.

SEGAN'T bend time and release them before they were created.

Of course, Sega had tons of great games, including its own NINJAS. Shadow Dancer, for starters.

[Gentlegamer]

I think Ninja Spirit and Splatterhouse were two early arcade conversions that made Genesis fans jealous.

Seeing as the Genesis had two exclusive Splatterhouse sequels and countless SEGA arcade ports (not to mention all the Shinobi games), Genesis fans probably weren't losing too much sleep over the lack of those two games...but they should have!

I'm talking about in the early period of 1990.

[Black Tiger]

I think Ninja Spirit and Splatterhouse were two early arcade conversions that made Genesis fans jealous.

Seeing as the Genesis had two exclusive Splatterhouse sequels and countless SEGA arcade ports (not to mention all the Shinobi games), Genesis fans probably weren't losing too much sleep over the lack of those two games...but they should have!

By the time Splatterhouse 2 came out, no one was thinking about the TG-16 except Turbo fans. But Genesis fans to this day often express a preference for the original.

Neither were common arcade games in North America, so I don't think many console players looked at them as conversions.

During the early days of the Genesis, I thought that it had unique color restrictions like the NES, and that it couldn't do the kind of RGB color and shading that we saw in later games. The first time I played Ninja Spirit, it reminded me of that early Genesis feeling. It's more sort of monochromatic and the selective concentrations of shading reminded me of some of my favorite early Genesis visuals.

[Dicer]

I like it best out of all the ports and even the arcade, it's a great conversion tot eh turbobobobobobo

[o.pwuaioc]

Man, seconded! I just love this atmosphere.  Great atmosphere is the difference between a great game and a masterpiece.

I also just love the "shoot em up" feel it gives off. More than any other platformer except run n guns, Ninja Spirit really captures the feeling of space shooters, but with swords and ancient Japan. I think it's that superior "firepower" that just destroys all. Although maybe it's ninja platformers in general, because Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi  kind of give off that feeling, too, but Ninja Spirit encapsulates it perfectly.

Do you like Tonma? I play that one more than Ninja Spirit. It's an Irem platformer that is pretty similar in the shmup feel.

Ninja Spirit is an all-time classic though. I think I beat Arcade mode once, but the extra ending wasn't worth it.

Unfortunately, Tonma is still on my "to buy" list.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Maybe I'm nuts(I am) but I loved the chip tunes in Ninja Spirit from the get go all those years ago.  I've always loved Irem's sound set they used for all(most?) of their games.  Tonma & Mr. Heli especially are up there with Ninja Spirit in my book! 

[lukester]

Maybe I'm nuts(I am) but I loved the chip tunes in Ninja Spirit from the get go all those years ago.  I've always loved Irem's sound set they used for all(most?) of their games.  Tonma & Mr. Heli especially are up there with Ninja Spirit in my book! 

I agree. Some people think it sounds "weedy" but I think it's atmospheric.

[cr8zykuban0]

Cant say much that hasnt already been said. Definitely a must have classic for any turbografx/pc engine collector

[grolt]

Can you post the kanji screens?  I'm only from the far east coast (usa) but I don't remember them.  Probably stage titles?

Sorry, I missed this when you first posted.  Here are the titles from levels 2 & 3.  Is it just saying "Stage 3" or do the stages actually have a unique name?