Play Ninja Gaiden (Japan) (Proto) [b] Online

Ryu moves like he's on roller skates in this janky Genesis prototype—you'll overshoot jumps and slice through enemies with weird, slippery physics, but the soundtrack absolutely rips. It's rough around the edges, but there's something oddly satisfying about its unpolished chaos.

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Game Overview

So, Ninja Gaiden (Japan) (Proto) [b] for the Sega Genesis is this weird, unfinished version of the game that somehow feels faster and meaner than the NES ones. You’ve still got Ryu slicing through bad guys, but everything’s a little looser—like the controls got greased up, and now you’re flying through stages with this weird, janky momentum. The music slaps, though. Some of those tracks go way harder than they needed to.

It’s clearly unfinished—some animations are rough, and there’s this one boss that just kinda… stands there? But that’s part of the fun. You can tell the devs were experimenting with how ninja combat should feel on the Genesis, and honestly, the result is kind of a mess, but a fun mess. If you’re into obscure prototypes or just want to see what could’ve been, it’s worth a spin. Just don’t expect it to play nice.