The original Japanese version of Ninja Gaiden on Famicom. Same excellence as the western version. Revolutionary cutscenes, intense action, dark atmosphere. The unedited original.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Action-adventure featuring Ryu Hayabusa battling demonic forces on a Christmas night in Japan, Japanese version. Published by Tecmo, released in Japan in 1988. Ryu in side-scrolling view with his dragon sword, pioneering narrative cutscenes and imposing bosses. Original Japanese version of Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden masterpiece on Famicom.
Ninja Ryuuken Den review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Cinematic and intense, Tecmo's music plunges Ryu Hayabusa's adventure into a permanent tension, between heroic themes and dark melodies. Each level pulses with a dramatic urgency that sticks to the ninja's leaps. This memorable sonic atmosphere made the series a benchmark of action on NES.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
Compare prices
Loading eBay listings…
Alert active — budget
$
Collector interest
The Japanese Famicom version of 'Ninja Gaiden', Japan-exclusive under this name and featuring cutscenes with original dialogue not translated elsewhere. The Japanese cart is also notable for its appearance in the FamicomBox, the commercial system for Japanese hotels, which makes it a documented piece with specific variants. Intact boxed CIB stays sought after, and the Japanese cote climbs steadily, sustained by the authenticity of the original pressing.
Is Ninja Ryuuken Den still worth playing in 2026?
Ninja Gaiden on NES, known as Ninja Ryuuken Den in Japan, stars Ryu Hayabusa in a foundational action platformer. Revolutionary cinematics for 1988, frantic action with precise controls and legendary difficulty make Tecmo's title, by Tomonobu Itagaki, absolutely essential. The dark art direction marks the era and Keiji Yamagishi's score has become iconic. Still an absolute classic today.
