Ninja Cop on GBA, snappy run & gun with a revolutionary grappling hook. Blazing through levels by hooking onto everything. Brilliant and underrated, one of the most inventive action games on the console.
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Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Action game developed by Konami and published in Europe in March 2003. Joe Osugi, a ninja police officer, battles criminals in urban levels using a grappling hook to propel himself along walls and ceilings while shooting enemies. Hybrid gameplay blending platforming and shooting with acrobatic freedom of movement, memorable bosses, several weapons to master and hostage rescue missions. Known in the USA as Ninja Five-O.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
European PAL edition of Hudson's Ninja Five-O, distributed by Sega Europe under the Ninja Cop title while the American version kept the original name. That market based dual identity creates a notable duality on the collector market, the title having already become rare in the US. Sega Europe run was particularly short, the European cardboard box is fragile, and a PAL identified complete copy with intact Sega manual keeps a particularly firm price for this cult ninja shoot on GBA.
An underrated gem
An explosive marriage of Shinobi and Bionic Commando, this action game lets a ninja-cop swing on a grappling hook between hostage rescues and sword duels. Printed in tiny numbers, it became a pricey rarity prized only by the initiated who hail its brilliance. Snappy and exhilarating, it stands as a high point of action on the machine.
Is Ninja Cop still worth playing in 2026?
Released as Ninja Five-O in the US and Ninja Cop in Europe, this Hudson run and gun remains a cult cartridge unfairly flown under the radar. The grappling hook mechanic turns every level into vertical acrobatics ground, the pacing stays crisp and brisk and the difficulty climbs with surgical care. The pixel art clearly draws on Shinobi and Strider while asserting its own touch. For fans of forgotten Japanese 2D action and increasingly rare cartridges, this is one of the most rewarding finds on the GBA.
