The Ninja Kids Longplay (Arcade) [4K]

Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: Taito Publisher: Taito Year of Release: 1990 Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- Taito seems to have released a staggering number of coin-op games in its time, and The Ninja Kids is yet another example of a game from the Japanese arcade stalwart which I'd never heard of, let alone played. It's something of an oddity, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. The plot of The Ninja Kids involves bringing down some evil cult attempting to create a manifestation of Satan in the real world. Players must punch, kick and sword-swipe a precession of goons and ghoulies across the game's five main levels, grabbing an assortment of power-ups and bonus items along the away. Each stage culminates with the typical boss fight, which introduces unique mechanics, which is all typical of the genre. So, the gameplay isn't particularly innovative, but the art style most definitely is. The player characters and enemies at large seem strangely reminiscent of puppets and marionettes, and it reminded me of Kid Klown in Crazy Chase on the SNES, although it would be a number of years before that particular game would be released. There's nothing I could find to suggest The Ninja Kids is based on an existing intellectual property with a predefined art style, it must have been a deliberate design choice for the game. I wouldn't call The Ninja Kids an all-time coin-op classic, but it's quirky design and perfectly adequate gameplay means it can be quite fun. If you've not played it before, go check it out. Chapters --------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Attract mode 02:50 Stage 1 06:56 Stage 2 12:10 Stage 3 19:32 Stage 4 23:51 Stage 5 29:17 Ending