The Ninja Warriors

About

The Ninja Warriors is a side-scrolling beat 'em up where you control either Kunoichi or Ninja. cross five levels of Banglar's dystopian future, fending off waves of enemies using distinct combos for each character. Crouching enables alternate moves like dash attacks and throws. A separate energy meter charges as you play, unlocking special strikes when full, though damage resets the count. The game supports solo or co-op, letting players team up to tackle waves of military forces. Its retro charm and responsive combat stand out, with over 1200 high scores tracked on PlayPile Leaderboard. Though released in 1988, the dual-character design with unique move sets and co-op play remain fresh. The blend of timed special attacks and raw brawler action earned it 87% on Amstrad CPC reviews. Found on 10 platforms including arcade cabinets and Sega CD, it’s a compact but punchy entry in Taito’s library.

Storyline

The game is based in a dystopian future where Banglar, the President of the United States in 1993, issues martial law on the nation, with the military having total control over the law. A group of anarchist scientists led by Mulk decide that it is time to revolt against the government. Knowing full well that approaching the military themselves could be considered an all out suicide mission, the scientists create two androids that can sustain various forms of damage in order to do the mission for them. The robots, code named "Kunoichi" (red female) and "Ninja" (blue male), are sent by the scientists in order to end Banglar's tyranny once and for all. Ninja and Kunoichi each have different combos — one to be executed normally, and another that can be performed while crouching — and specific moves such as dash attacks, throwing, stabbing and air strikes. On the screen, separate from the life bar, there is a special energy bar that fills itself as the main character progress. When full, the bar will allow the player to perform a special move. If the character suffers some damage, the special bar will reset, starting a new count-up.