Mirai Ninja is a 1988 Run-and-Gun arcade game produced by Namco, in which the player assumes the role of the titular hero.
In the past, an ancient demon who assumes a human form named Shikinami Kurosagi, was defeated in battle and sealed within his own castle. The hero who sealed him in, a ninja named Shiranui, ends up losing most of his body and his soul in the process, but was resurrected years later in the future as he's rebuilt into the Mirai Ninja - a Cyber Ninja cyborg warrior out to stop Shikinami's reawakening.
It's worth noting that this game was later adapted into a live-action film, Mirai Ninja, with the same name, though with a bit of Adaptation Expansion.
Fun Trivia: The titular character was designed by Keita Amemiya, the same designer of Kamen Rider and GARO, who would later direct Zeiram, a sci-fi film with a similar premise.
See also Genpei Tōma Den and The Legend of Kage, NES arcade games with a similar premise and setting.
This game contains examples of:
- Airborne Mooks: From flying imps to insect-like enemies to hang-gliding enemy ninjas, the latter which shows up en-masse in the bridge stage.
- Big Bad: Shikinami Kurosagi, the ancient demon out to rule over mankind. He failed in the past and tries a second time in the future, which your titular hero must stop at all costs.
- Bizarrchitecture: The room where you fight the robotic core. Every time you land a hit, the room tilts on it's own causing you to fall from one corner to another.
- Bottomless Magazines: Unlike other Run-and-Gun games, you're not using firearms in this one, and yet you can repeatedly spam shurikens like there's no tomorrow.
- Cyber Ninja: Your player character is a futuristic robot ninja out to stop an awakening demon lord.
- Damsel in Distress: The Princess has been kidnapped by Shikinami Kurosagi, and the ninja is out to rescue her.
- Epic Flail: The green skinned oni-mooks who attacks by swinging a ball and chain at you.
- Fish People: The river / bridge stage have you battling hostile fishmen leaping in and out of the water to attack you.
- Flash of Pain: All the boss enemies displays this once they're hit, for the players to know they're attacking the right spot.
- Giving Them the Strip: In the final level, how the princess gets out of her restrains while the ninja deals with Shikinami. After defeating the demon in a lengthy, two-phase battle that takes several minutes, the ninja run towards the princess to untie her... only for her to pop out of her kimono.
- I Shall Taunt You: Constantly during gameplay (especially before a difficult boss battle or when the titular character is about to face some difficult obstacle) Shikinami's disembodied, ghostly head will suddenly materialize onscreen and taunt the hero. He can't hurt the ninja in any way, other than mocking their efforts to defeat him.
- Life Meter: One that uses Bilingual Bonus - the life points is displayed during gameplay on top of the screen, in kanji. You start off at 九九 (ninty-nine) and getting hit will reduce it e.g. セ二 (seventy-two), 六三 (sixty-three), 四五 (forty-five), etc. Prepare to panic when the reading states 一二 (twelve, you're going to die soon, so find a health scroll, pronto).
- It's worth noting that this isn't the first game who uses kanji as indicator of the player's health, Genpei Tōma Den does this too.
- Sequential Boss: Shikinami Kurosagi needs to be fought twice before he goes down. His first form comes with Combat Tentacles surrounding his body and a Chest Blaster he'll occasionally use, while his second form is a taller, lankier Powered Armour that blasts the ninja repeatedly with lightning.
- Spread Shot: Or Spread Shuriken, there's a power-up that allows you to hurl three shuriken at once.
- Storming the Castle: The final level have the player forcing their way into Castle Kurosagi to confront Shikinami Kurosagi, one-on-one.
- Take It to the Bridge: The Water Course have you crossing a lengthy bridge the entire level, and facing fish-men leaping out of the water, as well as hang-gliding mooks dropping projectiles from above. There are areas where you can go "under" said bridge, which will cover you from most airborne attacks and you can avoid the hang-gliding mooks at that point, but you'll still need to contend with the fish-men enemies.
