The masters of stealth have stalked through ever medium of entertainment, sowing trickery and disruption. The shadow mercenaries known as Ninjas have appeared in a video game on almost every generation of video game consoles. If the Ninja is not the main star of the game, you can bet he is the coolest villain or supporting character in the game. Subzero, Scorpion, Grey Fox and xenophobic Kai Leng are all awe-inspiring characters that steal the show in their respective video games. Here is a list of five of the best Ninjas in video games.
5. Tenchu: Stealth Assassins: Rikimaru
While the game featured two pretty cool Ninjas, Rikimaru is the stronger of the duo, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins is a stealth game developed by Acquire and published by Sony Music Entertainment inc. for the PlayStation in 1998. This really was the first ninja game to incorporate the important stealth element of Ninjutsu. The focus on cunning and intelligence was a far departure from earlier ninja games use of side-scrolling action. The mysterious Azuma Shiunsai trained Rikimaru in the way of the Azuma Shinobi-ryu. He was the son of a samurai and became the youngest leader of the Azuma after facing dangerous trials.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003: Leonardo
In 2003 game publisher Konami released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a beat 'em up arcade style game based on the "Ninja Turtles" 2003 TV series. Gamers got to play as Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael, with each turtle having his own unique set of levels to complete. My favorite Ninja turtle to play as in the game is Leo, who has an unlockable black ninja costume. What makes Leo the best of the four is his dedication to the craft, his strong sense of honor, ethics and Bushido. Plus you get to dual wield katanas, Leonardo comes equipped with twin swords hanging from his shell.
3. Batman Arkham City: Batman
The Bat is definitely a ninja, his arsenal of weapons is based off of ninja weaponry, and he knows ninjutsu and stealth techniques. He wears a mask uses deception, grapples from vantage point to vantage point and attacks from the shadows. I mean all Batman needs is a bat-ninja sword and he is completely a ninja master. It is also a shame that Arkham City did not have Lady Shiva, a martial arts grandmaster and assassin-for-hire from the comics. Batman should be considered an "American Ninja."
2. Ninja Gaiden: Ryu Hayabusa
The Ninja Gaiden franchise started in the late 1980s, and while the original games were fun, it wasn't in till 2004's Ninja Gaiden reboot for the Xbox that Ryu Hayabusa became a truly badass Ninja. In the reboot, Ryu was out for revenge, while seeking a stolen sword and he was kicking behinds and taking names later. Gamers got to perform acrobatic feats and slice enemies to ribbons with blood gushing everywhere. Plus the game was difficult and had many throw your controller like a ninja star moments.
1. The Revenge of Shinobi: Joe Musashi
Joe Musashi, the protagonist of the original series of games, was a master of the ninja arts. The second game in the serious was my favorite, where Joe faced-off against the likes of, Spider-Man, Batman, the Terminator, and even Godzilla. Although in re-releases those characters were removed due to copy right issues. The game is a traditional side-scrolling action plat former, but also features ninja magic. He had the ability to control lightning and fire, the ability to levitate and the ability to explode and destroy his enemies. He truly was master of mind, body, soul and Ninja sword.
