Ninja Spirit on Game Boy is one of those classic side-scrollers where you feel like a total badass from the first minute. You start with a basic sword, but within seconds you're throwing shurikens, dodging arrows, and slicing through enemies like they're made of paper. The controls are surprisingly smooth for an old-school handheld—no clunky jumps or awkward hitboxes here.

What I love is how fast it ramps up. One minute you're taking out a few foot soldiers, the next you're dodging fireballs from some robe-wearing sorcerer. The weapon switching takes a second to get used to (I kept accidentally swapping to the wrong thing mid-fight), but once you get the rhythm, chaining attacks feels so satisfying. And yeah, it's tough—expect to die a lot in the later levels, especially against bosses that fill half the screen.

If you grew up with Game Boy action games, this one holds up way better than most. Just don't expect any hand-holding—it's pure, unforgiving ninja chaos.