[Editor’s note: RJB talks about how he’ll keep going back toNinja Gaidenuntil he beats the game flawlessly for hisMonthly Musing. — CTZ]
Why would anyone subject themselves to this torture, time after time? Because I can.
I can finishNinja Gaidenon NES. I can do it with no continues. I cannot, however, do it in one life. I almost made it, once, but I died against that bastard Jacquio.
And that’s what keeps me coming back.
Ninja Gaidenis a series well known for its brutal difficulty. While the recent 360 title might have gone too far and relied on cheap tricks, like infinite staggers and juggles, to defeat you (a problem exacerbated by the ridiculous camera) the originalNinja Gaidenon NES relies purely on skill and timing to get through.
Obviously, there are some cheap moments, like birds that spawn mid jump and knock you to your death. But once you know they’re there, or if your reflexes are fast enough, you can hit them the moment after they spawn and safely make your way through.
The most epic video game opening of all time…
PlayingNinja Gaidenisn’t like playing a simple platformer. It’s not a basic left-to-right action game.Ninja Gaidenneeds to be played like a finely tuned instrument. You have to know each note, and hit it at exactly the right time.
Finishing the game takes less than an hour. If I’ve got an hour to kill before going out, I can fire it up and have it done before the girlfriend has her hair done. This is another one of the reasons I keep coming back. It’s quick, but it’s not easy, and it’s always satisfying.
This is why I replay it,time after time. I want the perfect play through. Like pianists who play Bach without dropping a note, I want to playNinja Gaidenwithout missing a life.
It is a matter of gaming pride that I do this (and hopefully record it). This isn’t about Achievements or Trophies.Ninja Gaidenis from a time before such crass novelties.Ninja Gaidenis from a time when simply getting to the end was the feat, not unlocking all the points for an e-penis no one cares about.
Ninja Gaidenwas from a time when finishing a game meant something, was something to be proud of, and finishingNinja Gaidenwas one of the greatest things you could do.Ninja Gaidenis from a time when gaming achievements were looked on with awe, not with derision and the label of being an “achievement whore”, as if gaming pride can be shilled out by the console makers, a petty lure for the “hardcore” crowd.
Ninja Gaidenis beyond such pettiness. It is what it is, and you can take it or leave it.
And I can’t leave it alone.
Ninja Gaidenhas, for me, that perfect blend for replayability: Short, brutal, fun. And I will perfect it. I will play it until I do, and then, when I have bent Jacquio over and made him my bitch, I may finally put the game to rest.
But probably not, because after I do that, I know I will need the high score.
You get used to it…
P.S.Ninja Gaidenwas actually calledShadow Warriorin Australia (as part of the PAL region) because ninjas are illegal in England.
