Software:Ninja Crusaders

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Short description: 1990 video game
Ninja Crusaders
Ninja Crusaderts
Japanese cover art
Developer(s)NMK[1]
Publisher(s)Sammy Corporation[1]
Composer(s)Kazunori Hideya
Platform(s)NES[1]
Release
Genre(s)2D action platformer[1]
Mode(s)Single-player or multiplayer (up to 2 players)

Ninja Crusaders[lower-alpha 1] is a side-scrolling action game released by Sammy Corporation for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. The player takes control of one of two ninjas who are tasked at thwarting an alien invasion. The game has been compared to Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden series.[3]

Gameplay

Ninja Crusaders is a side-scrolling action game that can be played by up to two players simultaneously. There are four weapons that player can pick up and use during the game: shuriken, kusarigama, bō and sword. Each weapon has its unique style and transformation ability: shuriken provides the ability of transforming into tiger, which is the fastest and can jump the highest but has the shortest range;[4] kusarigama provides the ability of transforming into sea scorpion, which can swim better than all the rest but moves very slowly on land;[4] bō provides the ability of transforming into falcon, which has the ability to fly above everything but cannot attack at all;[4] and finally sword provides the ability of transforming into dragon, which can fly, is invincible, and kills everything in one hit, but the player can only use this ability only once and only for a limited amount of time, also sword itself rarely appears in the game.[4]

Plot

In the near future, a force of alien invaders is wreaking havoc on Earth from the furthest reaches of outer space.[5] This new menace was stronger than our most powerful defenses and proved to be unstoppable. In Japan, brave ninja warriors rose from the shadows to battle the alien invaders, but were eventually driven out as the menace took control of their homeland. Some of the ninjas escaped Japan and scattered to remote lands around the world.[5] But their passion to reclaim their land and crush the enemy's rage. It was decided that two ninjas, Talon and Blade, would be sent to destroy the evil.[5]

Reception

Reception
Review score
PublicationScore
EGM6/10, 6/10, 5/10, 6/10[6]

NES Player claims that the speed and unpredictability of the game's enemy character are what leads to the game's biggest downfall, level memorization, forcing players to over-rely on memorization in later stages.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Released in Japan as Ninja Crusaders Ryuga (Japanese: 忍者クルセイダーズ 龍牙, Hepburn: Ninja Kuruseidāzu Ryūga).

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Game information". GameFAQs. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587487-ninja-crusaders/data. Retrieved 2023-06-22. 
  2. ↑ "NES Games". Nintendo of America. https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/nes_games.pdf. 
  3. ↑ "Similarities to Ninja Gaiden". NES Guide. http://nesguide.com/games/ninjacrusaders/. Retrieved 2010-07-17. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Basic game overview". NES Player. Archived from the original on 2006-03-27. https://archive.today/20060327131445/http://www.nesplayer.com/reviews/ninjacrusadersr.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-17. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Story information". MobyGames. https://www.mobygames.com/game/29726/ninja-crusaders/. Retrieved 2023-06-22. 
  6. ↑ Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Sushi-X (February 1991). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) 4 (19). https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/465cebdc-aeb0-4ea2-88af-3a06d7398e24. Retrieved October 9, 2025. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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