Play Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 2 - Karakuri Land (Japan) [En by D v1.2] (~Kid Niki 2 - Karakuri Land) Online

Game Overview

Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 2 (or Kid Niki 2 if you grew up with the western release) is one of those NES games that somehow manages to be both adorable and brutal. You play as this tiny samurai dude who spins like a top to attack—which looks ridiculous but feels surprisingly satisfying when you take out three enemies in one whirl.

The levels are packed with these weird, playful traps—spring-loaded drums launch you into the air, fake walls crumble when you touch them, and sometimes the whole screen just starts scrolling automatically while you scramble not to get squished. It’s got that classic "easy to pick up, hard to master" thing going on, where the first few stages trick you into thinking it’s cute and simple… then suddenly you’re getting wrecked by floating masks and disappearing platforms.

What I love is how every zone feels like its own little carnival of hazards—one minute you’re hopping across giant teacups, the next you’re dodging fire-breathing frog statues. The music’s got that bouncy, unmistakably 8-bit charm too. Just don’t be surprised if you yell at your screen a few times before figuring out the trick to that one boss.

If you missed this one back in the day, it’s worth digging up—especially now with the fan translation floating around.