Software:The Ninja Warriors

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Short description: 1987 video game
"Ninja Warriors" redirects here. For the 1994 Super NES game, see The Ninja Warriors (1994 video game). For the TV series known as Ninja Warrior, see Sasuke (TV series). For other uses, see Ninja Warrior (disambiguation).

The Ninja Warriors
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Taito
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Masaki Ogata
Producer(s)Yojiro Suekado
Designer(s)Hiroshi Tsujino
Yukiwo Ishikawa
Programmer(s)Daisuke Sasaki
Writer(s)Hiroshi Tsujino
Composer(s)Hisayoshi Ogura
Platform(s)Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, PC Engine, Mega-CD
Release
Genre(s)Beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. is a 1987 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Taito for arcades. The original arcade game situated one display in between projected images of two other displays, creating the appearance of a triple-wide screen. Ports were released for home systems including the Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, PC Engine, and Mega-CD.

A sequel with the same name was developed by Natsume Co., Ltd. and released in 1994, followed by the enhanced remaster The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors in 2019.

Gameplay

Arcade screenshot

The Ninja Warriors presents side-scrolling hand-to-hand combat. Players take control of Kunoichi (player 1) or Ninja (player 2) and fight wave after wave of Banglar forces across six levels. Button 1 attacks with a short-range kunai slash, while button 2 fires long-range shurikens that are limited in supply.

Plot

The game is set in a dystopian future where Banglar, the President of the United States in 1993, has declared martial law nationwide.[4] A group of anarchist scientists led by Mulk decide that it is time to revolt against the government. Knowing full well that fighting the military themselves would be suicidal, the scientists create two powerful androids to carry out the mission for them. The robots, code-named "Kunoichi" (red female) and "Ninja" (blue male), are sent by the scientists to end Banglar's tyranny once and for all.

Development and release

The game's arcade cabinet is unique due to its three contiguous screens (one screen in the usual place for an arcade game, and two more screens in the cabinet below, reflected by mirrors on either side of the middle screen) which created the effect of a single 4:1 screen akin to the Polyvision format used in Abel Gance's Napoléon (1927), depicting ninjas.[5] The same cabinet was also used for Darius and Darius II and Konami used a similar format for its X-Men arcade release (six players). The music was composed by Hisayoshi Ogura and Taito's in-house band Zuntata. Pony Canyon and Scitron released the two soundtracks for the game in 1988 and 1991,[6][7] while further arrangements were released in 1993[8] and by Zuntata Records and Taito in 1988 and 2009.[9][10]

The game was ported to various personal computers: the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Sinclair Spectrum 128K, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. Home console versions of the game were released exclusively in Japan for the NEC PC Engine and Sega Mega-CD. Hamster Corporation released the arcade version as part of their Arcade Archives series for the PlayStation 4 in 2017 and Nintendo Switch in 2019.[11] A new port based on the 1994 version titled The Ninja Warriors: Once Again was released in 2019 by Natsume Atari on Nintendo Switch. It features new artwork and two new playable characters.[12]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AmigaArcadeAtari STC64PCSega GenesisTurboGrafx-16ZX
ACE830[13]825[13]
Crash69%[4]
CVGPositive[3]84%[17]
Your SinclairPositive[18]75%[5]
Zzap!6482%[21]79%[21]
Commodore User92%[23]8/10[22]
Mega15% (CD)[24]

In Japan, Game Machine listed The Ninja Warriors on their April 1, 1988 issue as being the third most-successful upright arcade unit of the month.[25] It went on to become Japan's eighth highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1988.[26]

The arcade game received positive reviews. Clare Edgeley of Computer and Video Games reviewed the arcade game upon release, noted that it was one of several popular "martial arts simulation" games at London's Amusement Trades Exhibition International (ATEI) show in January 1988, along with Sega's Shinobi and Data East's Vigilante; she said it plays similarly to Shinobi, but that Ninja Warriors has a three-monitor cabinet like Darius (1986). She praised the large screen, "great" graphics, and fun gameplay, but said Shinobi and Vigilante were more challenging.[3] Nick Kelly of Commodore User rated it 8 out of 10, also noting similarities to Shinobi, but preferring Ninja Warriors for its graphics and large screen. He said it was highly playable, "gorgeous looking" and technologically "a successful step" forwards.[22] Your Sinclair gave it a brief positive review, recommending readers to look "out for it."[18]

The home conversions also received mostly positive reviews, especially its 16-bit versions such as the ones for the Amiga. In 2010, CraveOnline featured the game (the arcade, SNES and Sega CD versions) on the list of top ten ninja games of all time.[27] In 2008, GamesRadar featured Kunoichi as the best assassin in the video game history: "She cut a memorable figure, rocking the huge blonde ponytail and bright-red shozoku. On top of that, she wasn't just a ninja - she was a ninja Terminator. It's hard to imagine a better assassin than that".[28] In 2006, Akiman drew her as his girl of the month for the Japanese magazine GAMAGA.[29] Robert Workman of GameZone included Ninja and Kunoichi on his 2011 list of "best video game ninjas": "These guys are due for a return – and hopefully a better hyped one than Kage got a few years ago on DS?"[30]

Legacy

Main article: Software:The Ninja Warriors (1994 video game)

Natsume Co., Ltd. developed a 1994 follow-up for the Super NES also known as The Ninja Warriors, or The Ninja Warriors Again in Japan. An enhanced remaster of the Super NES game for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 was released in 2019.

Notes


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Akagi, Masumi (13 October 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 136–7. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n137/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ "Video Game Flyers: Ninja Warriors, The, Electrocoin (UK)". https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=wide-flyer&db=videodb&id=4223&image=1. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Arcade Action". Computer and Video Games (77 (March 1988)): 90–3. February 1988. https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-077/page/n89/mode/2up. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Crash, Issue 1.90, page 52.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Your Sinclair, Issue 1.90, page 91.
  6. ↑ "D28B-0001 | The Ninjawarriors -G.S.M. TAITO 1". VGMdb. http://vgmdb.net/album/1239. Retrieved 2013-10-20. 
  7. ↑ "PCCB-00074 | The Ninja Warriors". VGMdb. http://vgmdb.net/album/740. Retrieved 2013-10-20. 
  8. ↑ "PCCB-00116 | Ninja Warriors Complete Album". VGMdb. http://vgmdb.net/album/1142. Retrieved 2013-10-20. 
  9. ↑ "ZTTL-0024 | Z-REPLICA Vol.1 DADDY MULK THE NINJA WARRIORS". VGMdb. http://vgmdb.net/album/837. Retrieved 2013-10-20. 
  10. ↑ "ZTTL-9016 | The Ninja Warriors arrange sound tracks". VGMdb. http://vgmdb.net/album/11843. Retrieved 2013-10-20. 
  11. ↑ Calvert, Darren (2019-07-25). "Nintendo Download: 25th July (North America)" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/07/nintendo_download_25th_july_north_america. 
  12. ↑ "Ninja Warriors Again for Switch officially titled The Ninja Warriors: Once Again, launches worldwide in 2019". 5 September 2018. https://gematsu.com/2018/09/ninja-warriors-again-for-switch-officially-titled-the-ninja-warriors-once-again-launches-worldwide-in-2019. Retrieved 2018-09-05. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 ACE 27 (December 1989).
  14. ↑ Amiga Action 5 (February 1990).
  15. ↑ Amiga Computing Vol 2 No 9 (February 1990).
  16. ↑ Amiga Format 6 (January 1990).
  17. ↑ Computer + Video Games 94 (September 1989).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Smith, Andy (11 August 1988). "Extended Play... The Ninja Warriors (Taito)". Your Sinclair (33 (September 1988)): 27. https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/43/244. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 The Games Machine 26 (January 1990).
  20. ↑ The Games Machine 28 (March 1990).
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Zzap 57 (January 1990).
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Kelly, Nick (6 May 1988). "Arcades: Ninja Warriors". Commodore User (54 (June 1988)). https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/268/244. 
  23. ↑ CU Amiga-64 (December 1989).
  24. ↑ Mega 11 (August 1993), page 48.
  25. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - アップライト, コックピット型TVゲーム機 (Upright/Cockpit Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (329): 25. 1 April 1988. 
  26. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '88 / "Game of the Year '88" By Game Machine". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (348): 10–1, 26. 15 January 1989. https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19890115p.pdf#page=6. 
  27. ↑ Top 10 Ninja Games Of All Time , CraveOnline, September 18, 2008.
  28. ↑ The Top 7... Assassins , GamesRadar, 2008-02-05.
  29. ↑ "Scan of the page in question". http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/futaenokiwami/kunoichi.jpg. Retrieved 2013-10-20. 
  30. ↑ Workman, Robert (2011-11-20). "The Best Of: Video Game Ninjas". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/originals/2011/11/20/favorite-video-game-ninjas. Retrieved 2014-06-17. 

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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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