Play Ninja Gaiden III - The Ancient Ship of Doom Online

Ninja Gaiden III on NES is where the classic series went out with a bang—or maybe a frustrated controller throw, depending on how the enemies are treating you. This time, Ryu’s framed for murdering his ally Irene (turns out it was a doppelgänger, because ninja drama), so naturally, he storms through a sketchy factory full of traps and clones to clear his name. The sword feels shorter than in earlier games, and enemies hit like trucks—this is the brutal US version, after all. But hey, at least you get a slick wave slash that cuts through crowds vertically, and some levels actually scroll up and down instead of just left to right. Small mercies.

Fun fact: This was the last NES entry, and the Lynx port squeezed everything onto that tiny screen without losing the pain—I mean, challenge. If you’ve played the others, expect to relearn timing. If you haven’t… good luck.