Ninjas are awesome, and when I say awesome, I mean totally sweet. I can't stop thinking about ninjas, which is why I dig Ninja Gaiden so much. It's all the nonstop jumping, slashing, and star throwing that you see ninjas doing all the time in real life.

Gaiden's characters are small, but the stages and enemies are diverse and interesting. Besides jumping and fighting, your ninja can also cling to walls. You can use this ability to vault to high places. In terms of difficulty, Ninja Gaiden is hard as nails. Like many old platform games, most deaths are caused not from running out of health but from missing jumps and falling off the screen. There are some very frustrating sections where it's difficult to make a jump while avoiding projectiles.

Like Castlevania, numerous objects line the walls, and slashing them reveals items and power-ups. The background scenery is a mixed bag. The city streets look plain, but later stages like the castle ruins and mine cart tunnels look terrific. Cinematic cut-scenes between stages tell an intriguing tale of revenge, borrowing elements from more movies than I care to name. Interestingly, this game won an award back in 1989 for "best ending in a video game". Ninja Gaiden also features a kick-butt soundtrack that's sure to get the testosterone flowing. Ninja Gaiden spawned a number of sequels, including a 3D version for the X-Box.