Shadow of the Ninja is one of those NES gems that feels like it should’ve been way more famous. You pick between Hayate (blue ninja) or Kaede (red ninja) and slash your way through levels packed with enemies, traps, and those sweet weapon pods that give you new gear. The sword upgrades feel great, but good luck not falling into pits—those take a chunk of health like everything else.

What really makes it stand out is the co-op. Two ninjas jumping, hanging from pipes, and sharing limited continues adds this hilarious tension where you’re either saving each other or silently judging your friend’s platforming skills. The music’s got that classic NES vibe too—synth beats that somehow make stabbing robots feel cooler.

Fun fact: In Japan it’s called Kage, and in Europe they renamed it Blue Shadow for some reason. Either way, it’s a solid ninja action game with just the right amount of 8-bit frustration.