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Ninja Gaiden

Updated: 12/11/2025, 9:37:33 AM Wikipedia source

Ninja Gaiden (NINJA 外伝) is an action game franchise created by Tecmo and featuring the ninja Ryu Hayabusa as its protagonist. The series was originally known as Ninja Ryukenden (忍者龍剣伝, Ninja Ryūkenden; lit. "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword") in Japan. The word "gaiden" in the North American Ninja Gaiden title means "side story" in Japanese. The original arcade version, first two Nintendo Entertainment System games and Game Boy game were released as Shadow Warriors in PAL regions. As of 2008, the series had shipped over 7.7 million units worldwide. The series gained popularity on the NES for its tight action-platform gameplay, catchy music and, according to G4's X-Play, for being the first console game to have the story presented in cinematic cutscenes. The 8-bit trilogy was enhanced for the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Sega released two Ninja Gaiden games for the Game Gear and Master System, the latter only for PAL regions. The original series' setting of said universe is a retro-futuristic version of the 1980s. A new game, titled Ninja Gaiden, was released in 2004 as a 3D action game on the Xbox, developed by Team Ninja, the makers of Dead or Alive. The Ninja Gaiden franchise is known for its high degree of difficulty, particularly the original NES version and the Xbox revival. According to Eurogamer, the gameplay of the Strider arcade franchise was a vital influence on the modern incarnation of the Ninja Gaiden franchise.

Infobox

Genres
mw- ActionPlatformerHack and slashAction-adventure
Developers
Tecmo (1988–2008)BlueSky Software (1990)Team Ninja (since 2004)The Game Kitchen (2025)PlatinumGames (2025)
Publishers
TecmoKoei TecmoHi Tech ExpressionsAtari CorporationEidos InteractiveXbox Game StudiosNintendoSegaDotemu
Creators
Hideo Yoshizawa (NES series) Tomonobu Itagaki (prequel series)
Artists
Masato Kato (NES series)
Platforms
List Arcade Amiga Amstrad CPC Atari Lynx MS-DOS Game Boy Game Gear Master System Mobile phone Nintendo DS NES Nintendo Switch PC Engine PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 PlayStation Vita Super NES Wii U Windows Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S ZX Spectrum
First release
Ninja GaidenOctober 1988
Latest release
Ninja Gaiden 4October 21, 2025

Tables

Release timelineMainline number entries in bold
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
1988
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
1989
1989
1988
1989
1990
1990
1988
1990
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
1991
1991
1988
1991
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear)
Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear)
1988
Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear)
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
1988
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
1992
1992
1988
1992
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden (1992)
1993–2003
1993–2003
1988
1993–2003
2004
2004
1988
2004
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden (2004)
Ninja Gaiden X
Ninja Gaiden X
1988
Ninja Gaiden X
2005
2005
1988
2005
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden Black
2006
2006
1988
2006
2007
2007
1988
2007
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
2008
2008
1988
2008
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Ninja Gaiden II
Ninja Gaiden II
1988
Ninja Gaiden II
2009
2009
1988
2009
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
2010–2011
2010–2011
1988
2010–2011
2012
2012
1988
2012
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus
Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 3
1988
Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
1988
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
100 Man'nin no Ninja Gaiden
100 Man'nin no Ninja Gaiden
1988
100 Man'nin no Ninja Gaiden
2013
2013
1988
2013
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus
2014
2014
1988
2014
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
2015–2024
2015–2024
1988
2015–2024
2025
2025
1988
2025
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden II Black
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
1988
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Ninja Gaiden 4
Ninja Gaiden 4
1988
Ninja Gaiden 4
1988
Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
1989
1990
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
1991
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Ninja Gaiden (Game Gear)
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
1992
Ninja Gaiden (1992)
1993–2003
2004
Ninja Gaiden (2004)
Ninja Gaiden X
2005
Ninja Gaiden Black
2006
2007
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
2008
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Ninja Gaiden II
2009
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
2010–2011
2012
Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus
Ninja Gaiden 3
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
100 Man'nin no Ninja Gaiden
2013
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus
2014
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
2015–2024
2025
Ninja Gaiden II Black
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Ninja Gaiden 4

References

  1. Series sales as of June 2007: 5.5 million Sales from June 2007 to December 2008: 2.205 million shipped
  2. "TECMO Corporate Profile (as of June 2007)"
    http://www.tecmo.co.jp/company/data/20070823cp_e.pdf#page=13
  3. "Financial Statements Summary for Fiscal Year Ended December 2008"
    http://www.tecmo.co.jp/company/data/20090216gaikyo_e.pdf#page=5
  4. IGN
    https://web.archive.org/web/20040229032448/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/495/495186p3.html
  5. Eurogamer.net
    https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/strider-1-2-review
  6. GameFAQs
    https://www.gamefaqs.com/arcade/568362-ninja-gaiden/data
  7. "NGAR"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20070314142457/http://ninjagaiden.classicgaming.gamespy.com/images/ngar-01.gif
  8. "NGAR Continue screen"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20060409013432/http://ninjagaiden.classicgaming.gamespy.com/images/ngarcont.gif
  9. "Previews: Ninja Gaiden 2"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110522141623/http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3164447
  10. "Ninja Gaiden 2 Preview"
    http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/ninja_gaiden_2/preview-948.html
  11. GameSpot
    http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/ninjagaidenii/news.html?sid=6191514&part=rss&subj=6191514
  12. Metacritic
    https://www.metacritic.com/game/ninja-gaiden-black/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox
  13. "Ziff Davis Media : Press Release"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110722100636/http://www.ziffdavis.com/press/releases/050208.0.html
  14. 1UP.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20071031073255/http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3162734
  15. GameSpot
    https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ninja-gaiden-sigma-2-review/1900-6230770/
  16. bleedingcool.com
    https://bleedingcool.com/games/ninja-gaiden-2-black-released-ninja-gaiden-4-announced/
  17. "Team Ninja Knows Fans Want a New Ninja Gaiden"
    https://www.ign.com/articles/team-ninja-knows-fans-want-a-new-ninja-gaiden?amp=1
  18. "Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Producer Would 'Like to Make' Female-Led Spin-Off"
    https://gamerant.com/ninja-gaiden-master-collection-team-ninja-interview-female-spin-off/
  19. "Team NINJA Interview: Wo Long Producer/Director Masakazu Hirayama on a Potential Sequel, the Possibility of Returning to Ninja Gaiden, Wo Long Complete Edition, the PC Port, Player Feedback, and More – TouchArcade"
    https://toucharcade.com/2024/02/05/team-ninja-interview-wo-long-fallen-dynasty-complete-edition-masakazu-hirayama-dead-or-alive-ninja-gaiden-revival-physical-edition-dlc/
  20. IGN
    https://www.ign.com/articles/ninja-gaiden-4-announced-at-microsofts-xbox-developer-direct-2025
  21. Eurogamer.net
    https://www.eurogamer.net/ninja-gaiden-4-announced-from-team-ninja-and-platinumgames
  22. Xbox Wire
    https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/01/23/ninja-gaiden-4-developer-direct-2025/
  23. Electronic Gaming Monthly
  24. GamesMaster
    https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:GamesMaster_UK_001.pdf&page=14
  25. GameFan
    https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_1_Issue_01#page/n20/mode/1up
  26. Electronic Gaming Monthly
  27. Consoles + [fr]
    https://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero017/Consoles%20%2B%20017%20-%20Page%20073%20%28f%C3%A9vrier%201993%29.jpg
  28. "Ninja Gaiden X - Hardcore Gaming"
    http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ninjagaiden/ninjagaiden11.htm
  29. Cultured Vultures
    https://culturedvultures.com/the-history-of-ninja-gaiden-the-resurrection/
  30. IGN
    http://ds.ign.com/articles/776/776483p1.html
  31. IGN
    https://www.ign.com/articles/ninja-gaiden-returns-as-a-side-scroller-called-ninja-gaiden-ragebound-the-game-awards-2024
  32. Gematsu
    https://www.gematsu.com/2025/04/ninja-gaiden-ragebound-kumori-reveal-trailer
  33. "Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC"
    https://www.gematsu.com/2024/12/ninja-gaiden-ragebound-announced-for-ps5-xbox-series-ps4-xbox-one-switch-and-pc
  34. GamePro
  35. Electronic Gaming Monthly
  36. Jim Sterling, Ninja Gaiden invades Dynasty Warriors Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Destructoid, 09.23.2
    http://www.destructoid.com/ninja-gaiden-invades-dynasty-warriors-149615.phtml
  37. "Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation 4) Review"
    http://www.cubed3.com/review/1593/1/warriors-orochi-3-ultimate-playstation-4.html
  38. Alex Culafi, Ryu Hayabusa and Ayane Appearing in Dynasty Warriors 3DS Archived October 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine,
    http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/29425
  39. ""Musou☆Stars" Crossover Game Mixes in the "Atelier" Series and More"
    http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/09/13-1/musoustars-crossover-game-mixes-in-the-atelier-series-and-more
  40. "Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate Reveals Ryu Hayabusa Is Back with a New Trailer"
    https://www.dualshockers.com/warriors-orochi-4-ultimate-ryu-hayabusa-reveal-trailer/
  41. "Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa Joins Nioh 2 Following Patch"
    https://gamerant.com/ninja-gaiden-ryu-hayabusa-joins-nioh-2/
  42. "Halo Fan Creates Impressive Hayabusa Armor Helmet Replica"
    https://gamerant.com/halo-hayabusa-armor-helmet-replica/
  43. Super Swing Golf Season 2 Cheats, Codes, and Secrets for Wii, GameFAQs.
    https://www.gamefaqs.com/wii/941762-super-swing-golf-season-2/cheats
  44. ファミ通.com
    https://www.famitsu.com/news/201202/23010482.html
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