I love Ninja Spirit.
That game alone could justify the existence of the Turbografx-16, and it was one of the first games I purchased on the Wii's Virtual Console. If you know the game, I don't have to explain to you how satisfying it is to bust a fury of fully powered up bamboo grenades into a line of oncoming enemy ninjas as you soar through the air in ways that Kage could only do in his dreams. The PC-Engine mode is fun and not too much trouble for a seasoned gamer (providing you memorize the pattern of ninjas rising from the bottom of the chasm on the last stage, of course), but the Arcade mode... It's more than a little tough, eh? I have beat it once a while back on Arcade mode, and am now, for some masochistic reason, in the process of beating it again on my Wii- I'm on level 6. I'm not sure what I want to prove. Perhaps, I want to show the game how much I love it despite all the pain it has put me through over the years in the Arcade mode. I swear, the levels of stress that I endure playing the one-hit kills difficulty almost makes this game not worth it. Almost. I suppose what I appreciate about the Arcade mode is that on some levels it seems like there is only one weapon and one accompanying strategy/pattern you must adhere to that will bring your ass to the boss at the end of the stage in one piece. Once you figure out the needed weapon and strategy, a small window opens in an otherwise impenetrable wall of impossibility. I like/hate that.
So, any other fans of Ninja Spirit out there on DP want to praise and/or curse this Irem masterpiece?