A colorful punk ninja in a Data East action-platformer. Energetic sword strikes, varied levels, offbeat humor. Honest and fun gameplay. Overlooked but enjoyable for ninja-action genre fans.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player7+
Description
Action platformer featuring Kid Niki, a rebel ninja battling Japanese enemies with his spinning top. Published by Data East, released in the USA in 1987. Kid Niki in side-scrolling view throwing his sharp spinning top at enemies. NES port of Irem's Kid Niki arcade.
Kid Niki - Radical Ninja review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,12 MB📅01/10/1987
Published by Irem
Kid Niki - Radical Ninja (NES) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
An NES port of Irem's Kid Niki arcade game, published by Data East and released in the US in 1987, the Western counterpart of the Japanese Kaiketsu Yanchamaru. The rebel ninja with his spinning blade and punk look keep a cult aura among fans of NES arcade action. The USA version is common loose but its sealed value climbs noticeably, interest resting on the dual Irem and Data East pedigree and the tie to the Yanchamaru franchise on Famicom.
Is Kid Niki - Radical Ninja still worth playing in 2026?
An action platformer from Irem, Kid Niki - Radical Ninja has a rebel ninja armed with a whirling spinner fight medieval Japanese enemies, across snappy scrolling levels. The offbeat humour, the singular character design and the direct handling make it an arcade adaptation full of personality. The raised difficulty and the demanding jumps require precision. For a fan of offbeat retro action or someone curious about Irem classics, the title keeps an eccentric character and a strongly marked arcade pleasure.
