Ninja Kun - Ashura No Shou is one of those NES sequels that flew under the radar outside Japan, which is a shame because it’s way more polished than the first Ninja-Kid. You’re still that little blue ninja hopping across platforms, but now the levels have way more variety—some scroll vertically, others sideways, and there’s even this weird maze-like castle stage that had me backtracking like crazy.

The controls feel tighter than the arcade original, and you get these cool power-ups like a temporary invincibility orb (lifesaver against those annoying flying enemies). The music’s got that classic chiptune energy too—catchy but not grating after the tenth retry. Just don’t expect a walk in the park; some of those jumps require pixel-perfect timing.

If you’re into retro platformers with a bit of janky charm, this one’s a hidden gem. Just be ready to curse at a few cheap enemy placements.