History VideoGame / NinjaGaidenArcade

* RuthlessRooftops: In Round 3, the player/Ryu has to travel across the rooftops of Las Vegas buildings, fighting enemies all the way. Right at the beginning of the stage, the player has to grab onto a horizontal steel pipe in order to advance, lest he falls to his death. Further along the stage, the outlines of other illuminated Las Vegas buildings can be seen in the distance.

''Ninja Gaiden'' is a 1988 [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade]] [[BeatEmUp beat 'em up]] developed by Creator/{{Tecmo}} (now known as Creator/KoeiTecmo), and the first game in the ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' series. The Japanese title is ''Ninja Ryūkenden'' ("Ninja Dragon Sword Story") like the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} game. There is an international version named ''Shadow Warriors'', a title that would be used again for the European release of the NES games.

It was ported to various systems of the time (a lot more than what the NES game got), most of them being computer models like UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer, UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}, and UsefulNotes/Commodore64, and a handheld console UsefulNotes/AtariLynx. It's also in the ''[[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden2004 Ninja Gaiden Black]]'' as a bonus game.

* * ContinueCountdown: A rather infamous example where the continue screen shows a terrified-looking Ryu tied down with demons watching on in the background... as a circular saw slowly approaches his midsection. Not continuing before the count of 0 has the screen turn red.

''Ninja Gaiden'' is a 1988 [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade]] [[BeatEmUp beat 'em up]] developed by Creator/{{Tecmo}} (now known as Creator/KoeiTecmo), and the first game in the ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' series. The Japanese title is ''Ninja Ryūkenden'' ("Ninja Dragon Sword Story") like the NES game. There is an international version named ''Shadow Warriors'', a title that would be used again for the European release of the NES games.

Although this game was co-produced and released in the same year with the other ''[[VideoGame/NinjaGaidenNES Ninja Gaiden]]'' on the NES, it's a completely different game that shares only a few similarities. In this game, you control a ninja hired by US government to defeat an evil cult that wants to initiate TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.

* AirJousting: The hero takes out a draw (i.e., killed the mook) in the intro of the arcade ''Ninja Gaiden'' in this manner.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The sequels followed footsteps of the NES game and not this game, so naturally, this game has a lot of things that are at odds with the rest of the series.

* ExcusePlot: Compared to the NES game, this game is thin on plot, only providing montages of the hero taking a break between stages. This extends to ending, which has no generic "The world is saved thanks to our hero" message or even a simple "Congratulations!" screen, just showing the ninja going "back to Tokyo".

''Ninja Gaiden'' is a 1988 [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade]] [[BeatEmUp beat 'em up]] developed by Creator/{{Tecmo}} (now known as Creator/KoeiTecmo), and the first game in the ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' series. The Japanese title is ''Ninja Ryūkenden'' ("Ninja Dragon Sword Story") like the NES game. There is an alternative international version named ''Shadow Warriors'', a title that would be used again for the European release of the NES games.

** Ryu is nowhere to be seen. If you believe that the player character really is Ryu, then it falls into EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference, as Ryu in this game looks nothing like himself in the other games.

** All stages are AutoScrollingLevel where the screen always creeps forward with no way to speed up, and it only stops occasionally when the game won't progress until you get rid of all enemies. This is weird even for an arcade beat 'em up, as most other games of the time like ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' don't play like this.

''Ninja Gaiden'' is a 1988 [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade]] [[BeatEmUp beat 'em up]] developed by Creator/{{Tecmo}} (now known as Creator/KoeiTecmo), and the first game in the ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' series. The Japanese title is ''Ninja Ryūkenden'' ("Ninja Dragon Sword Story") like the NES game, and there is an alternative international version named ''Shadow Warriors''.

* AirJousting: Ryu takes out a draw (i.e., killed the mook) in the Arcade intro of Ninja Gaiden in this manner.

* DeathTrap: The game is perhaps best known for the Continue screen, showing Ryu tied down as a rotary saw descends toward his chest, shaking his head in wide-eyed terror.

* ExcusePlot: Compared to the NES game, this game is thin on plot, only providing montages of the hero taking a break between stages. There is not even "Congratulations!" at the ending, just showing the ninja going "back to Tokyo".

The first incarnation of the ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' game series, released to arcades in 1988.

* ColorCodedMultiplayer: This game has Player 1 as a blue ninja and Player 2 as a red ninja. While neither character are actually identified in the game, Ryu Hayabusa (the main character in the NES version) wears a blue ninja outfit, while his father Ken wears a similar red outfit, matching the colors of the two player characters (leading some fans to speculate that the events depicted in the arcade version is a mission that Ryu and Ken Hayabusa went through before the events of the NES series).

The first incarnation of the ''Franchise/NinjaGaiden'' game, released to arcades in 1988.

* SumoWrestling: One sumo as the boss of the first stage, two in the fourth.

* PlayboyBunny: Several appear in the casino Ryu played in.