Ninja Ryukenden II—or Shadow Warriors if you grew up with the Western release—is one of those NES games that feels brutal but fair once you get the hang of it. You play as Ryu Hayabusa (yep, the same guy from Dead or Alive), slashing through ninjas, demons, and weird floating heads with your dragon sword. The controls are tight, but enemies hit hard, so you’ll be replaying stages a few times before muscle memory kicks in.

What I love about this one is how it mixes classic platforming with some RPG elements—you collect scrolls to upgrade your techniques, and figuring out which ones to prioritize actually matters. The music’s got that classic 8-bit intensity too, especially the boss themes. Just don’t expect mercy if you walk into a room unprepared.

Fair warning: the Japanese version’s a bit tougher than the Western release, so if you’re new to the series, maybe warm up with the first game. Still, it’s a solid pick for anyone who misses the days when ninja games didn’t hold your hand.