The world's best ninja games: Part 1

For me, growing up in the 80s, ninjas were the coolest thing ever. We made our own throwing stars (as they were called back then), made karate sticks (which were called nunchakus back then) in woodwork class, sewed ninja hats, and watched every ninja-themed film we could get our hands on. We also had the GI Joe giants Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, and towards the end of the decade, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appeared.

Even today, ninjas continue to put me in an unreasonably good mood. Every time a ninja game appears in the editorial office, you can be sure that I will throw myself at it wildly and frantically, and I am happy to buy collector's editions and modern ninja games for Mega Drive and other platforms via Kickstarter. After playing through the excellent Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and the not-so-excellent Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, I have now decided to crown the world's best ninja game.

I thought about doing a top 10, but quickly realised that it would be completely impossible because there are far too many good ones. Therefore, it had to be a top 20 in two parts, which was also a tough challenge where a lot had to be cut.

What constitutes a ninja game is open to debate. If it's enough to have a ninja in it, then games such as Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones and Street Fighter 6 would qualify, so I require that at least one protagonist be a fully-fledged ninja who is also described as a ninja.

So... with that said, here are the world's best ninja games, places 20-11.

20. Ninja Blade (Xbox 360 - 2009)

This is probably the most controversial choice on the list, and many may not even remember FromSoftware's Xbox-exclusive title. However, it really stood out from the crowd with its extremely cinematic and Quick Time Event-filled presentation at the time and delivered a really cool ninja adventure. Since it was quite short, it never became tedious. Unfortunately, it's difficult to enjoy today as it's not backwards compatible, so your only chance is to find a disc, but if you have the opportunity, do so, even if some people will try to convince you otherwise.

19. Blue Shadow (NES - 1990)

In the late 1980s, European politicians had figured out how to overcome all the major problems of the era, namely by censoring the word "ninja" in an attempt to clearly define the concept of poster politics. Ninja Turtles was renamed Hero Turtles, Ninja Gaiden was renamed Shadow Warriors, and Shadow of the Ninja became Blue Shadow. Whether this really improved the world as intended is unclear, but what is clear is that the latter was a real hit and offered a perfect interpretation of what a true gaming ninja should be.

18. Shinobi (Master System - 1987)

8-bit and Europe is basically synonymous with NES, but the fact is that Sega's wonderful Master System was even more powerful and offered delightful arcade action and more adult entertainment than we found in the child-friendly Nintendo. A perfect example of this is Shinobi, a wildly cool ninja adventure with the most awesome bonus levels of its time. I never had a Master System myself, so I practically lived at the local video game exchange and played this game as much as I possibly could.

17. Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice (PC - 2021)

Instead of relying on reflexes and hack-and-slash like other ninja titles, Shadow Tactics: Aiko's Choice is based on planning, patience, and smart positioning. Each mission in this standalone expansion acts as a puzzle where you have to play the invisible shadow to eliminate enemies in a satisfying way. I had very low expectations for it, but it stands as one of the freshest ninja experiences I've had.

16. The Ninja Saviours: Return of the Warriors (PS4, Switch - 2019)

Of course, I could just as easily have included the original Super Nintendo game from 1995, but since this remake exists and improves on all aspects of the original, it's obviously this game I'm choosing for the list. It combines classic arcade action with cybernetic ninja warriors and period-typical raw charm. It's a prime example of how a beat 'em up can feel both nostalgic and fresh at the same time, and it's definitely something you need to give a chance if you like pixels and punching people in the face.

15. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S - 2025)

You should never really have expectations for games, at least not big ones. That's usually the surest way to be disappointed. But despite that, Lizardcube and Sega managed to surprise me positively with a truly powerful Metroidvania adventure that kept me playing after the review was written to find all the secrets. There are several really good games in the Shinobi series, and thankfully, this one fully lived up to its proud legacy.

14. Mystical Ninja 2 Starring Goemon (Nintendo 64 - 1999)

Ninja games don't have to be dark stories with grown-ups in pyjamas either sneaking or hacking their way through. Instead of dark shadows and bloody assassinations, Konami's gem Mystical Ninja 2 Starring Goemon offered colourful humour, bizarre enemies, and a light-hearted adventure tone. Goemon and his companions combined action with platforming elements in an epic and varied adventure that stands out as one of the most original ninja games ever.

13. Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360 - 2008)

After the absolutely masterful, incredibly stylish, and completely outstanding Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden II was released for Xbox 360. Rumours circulated about problems surrounding creator Tomonobu Itagaki, which may have had a negative impact on development, but when it finally arrived, it was a knockout of the likes rarely seen before. It was absolutely packed with action, violence, and animations of a kind the gaming world had never seen before. As with Ninja Gaiden, a Sigma version was later released that added some new content, but which was noticeably inferior in terms of gameplay and other aspects, and neither did Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, released earlier this year, manage to improve on the original sufficiently. Ultimately, Ninja Gaiden II is the ultimate version and the world's thirteenth best ninja game.

12. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo - 1991)

This ranking will probably make some of you hit the roof. Surely this is the turtles' finest digital moment ever? Yes, it is. Or rather... it was... until 2022 (and that gives you a clue about a game that might appear in the top 10). Fighting your way through varied environments, battling in epic boss fights, and hurling foot soldiers at the camera will never, ever not be fun. A masterpiece.

11. Tenchu: Wrath of the Heaven (PS2 - 2003)

There was more than one game in the Tenchu series that was about to sneak onto the list. In fact, it was a Tenchu game that I ended up removing from the list in order to fit all 20 games in (Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, so consider it an unofficial 21st place). However, Wrath of Heaven is the best in the series, and sneaking across rooftops in the dark of night, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the perfect moment for a ninja attack provides an intensity that few action games can match, despite the stealth element. It was also one of the first games to seriously put stealth at the centre of the ninja genre, complete with a distinct atmosphere of feudal Japan mixed with dark mysticism.