Play Ninja Taro Online

Ninja Taro (or Sengoku Ninja-kun if you're playing the Japanese version) is one of those weird little Game Boy gems that feels like a Zelda clone but with its own ninja-flavored twist. You play as Taro, a ninja sent on a mission to investigate whether the infamous Lord Shin Takeda is really dead—spoiler: things never go smoothly in these kinds of quests.

At first, you’ve just got your sword and throwing stars, but you’ll stumble on all kinds of tools—some useful, some situational. The Masamune sword swings faster but hits weaker, and there’s even camouflage and fire tricks for when brute force isn’t the answer. The pacing’s a bit slow—your ninja walks like he’s weighed down by too many shuriken—but enemies move at the same sluggish speed, so it balances out.

What really stands out is the mix of history and myth. You’ll bump into actual warlords like Oda Nobunaga, then turn a corner and fight a tengu or some nightmare creature that looks like it escaped from an ‘80s anime. It’s janky in that classic Game Boy way, but there’s charm in the weird little details, like convincing your teacher’s friend’s daughter to help you because ninja networking is apparently a thing.

If you’ve played Rolan’s Curse, the engine will feel familiar—same clunky-but-functional vibe. Just don’t expect a speedrun-friendly experience.