Play Jajamaru Gekimaden - Maboroshi no Kinmajou (Japan) Online

Game Overview

Okay, so picture this: you're a tiny frog ninja named Jajamaru, hopping through these weirdly beautiful NES levels that feel like someone mixed a platformer with an RPG. At first it seems cute—until you realize those smiling mushroom enemies hit hard, and suddenly you're scrambling to find better weapons between stages.

What I love is how it plays with expectations. Instead of just running left to right, you're backtracking through maze-like castles, unlocking new paths with upgrades. Found this sweet dagger hidden behind a waterfall once—felt like cheating, but hey, frog ninjas take what they can get. The music’s got that classic chip-tune bounce, especially the boss theme that somehow makes a giant floating skull feel festive.

Fair warning: it’s tougher than it looks. Those RPG elements mean you’ll actually need to strategize instead of button-mashing. But when you finally nail a perfect run through the ghost castle? Pure 8-bit satisfaction. Definitely one of the weirder, cooler NES games nobody talks about.