Play Jajamaru no Daibouken (Japan) Online

Jajamaru no Daibouken came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, developed and published by Jaleco. It was one of those side scrolling platformers that felt right at home on the NES, with colorful graphics and a straightforward premise that didn't try to overcomplicate things. You control a young ninja named Jajamaru, sent on a mission to rescue a kidnapped princess, which was a pretty common setup back then but still had its own charm.

You guide Jajamaru through a series of side scrolling stages, jumping across platforms and avoiding enemies like snakes and birds. Your main weapon is the kunai, which you throw in an arc to take out foes; timing your throws is key because you can't just spam attacks. One of the more memorable mechanics is the occasional transformation into a frog, which happens randomly when you're hit and severely limits your movement until it wears off. The game moves at a brisk pace, and the difficulty can spike unexpectedly, especially in later levels where precision jumps become crucial. It feels like a mix of careful planning and adapting to whatever the game throws at you next.