Shadow of the Ninja

Shadow of the Ninja, published by Taito for the NES in 1990, is an action platformer about two ninjas infiltrating a dark near-future metropolis to bring down a tyrant. Crucially, players can make that journey together — the game supports two-player cooperative play.

Ninja action was a royal discipline on the 8-bit Nintendo, and the competition was merciless. Shadow of the Ninja earned its place through honest level design, wall and railing climbing, and an arsenal that backs the sword with throwing weapons. Its pace is more deliberate than the era's most famous ninja series, and it rewards careful progress all the more for it.

That co-op mode was the rarity. Most celebrated ninja titles of the age were strictly solo affairs, so fighting through the shadows with a partner gave this game an identity of its own — and it remains the main reason players return to it.

By 1990 the NES was at the height of its powers. Developers had learned to squeeze striking visuals from the ageing hardware, and late 8-bit action games rank among the finest work in the console's entire library.

The card for this ninja expedition sits on OldGame.cz along with its year, its publisher and glimpses of those dark streets.