"Why no red ninja shadows?"

Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden III - The Ancient Ship of Doom was the last adventure of the ninja Ryu Hayabusa on the NES. Even though not as good as the two previous titles, this one is still a solid and interesting action game.

The story starts when the secret agent Irene Lew gets killed while investigating a mysterious bio-research laboratory. The murderer is no other but the ninja of the dragon clan, Ryu Hayabusa. But of course, he would never do such crime (especially because Irene is his long-time girlfriend). Ryu must then find the assassin who assumed his identity and discover what that laboratory truly hides. This plot is quite a departure from the first adventures (which had mystic artifacts, demons and such) and, unfortunately, it is not nearly as good as the others, with some poorly written dialogues and a mostly confusing conclusion.

The gameplay is similar to the previous games: 2D action/platformer, with Ryu slashing legions of enemies while trying to reach the exit alive. The ninja retains most of his special attacks, including his boomerang-like shurikens and his wheel-of-fire, and he gained a few new tricks as well. The most useful is a power-up that doubles the range of his sword, something that really helps, since Ryu's weapon always had a ridiculously short reach. However, Ryu's most interesting skill from Ninja Gaiden II, the two red shadows that could mimic his movements, has been unexpectedly removed. In addition, it is noticeable that the design of the levels is not nearly as ingenious as before, and the action, too, is much slower (when your character jumps, especially, he seems to float in the air).

The graphics of Ninja Gaiden III, on the other hand, have been greatly improved and are certainly the best of the series. Ryu hasn't changed much, but the backgrounds are much more detailed this time. The scrolling backgrounds of the desert level and the electromagnetic force field of the fifth level are particularly impressive for a NES title. The enemies, too, look better this time around, even though the ninjas and underworld creatures from the previous games have been replaced by mutant freaks and small robotic things. The sound effects and tunes are great as well. Some old themes return, along with new ones that certainly capture the feel of the action.

Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden III - The Ancient Ship of Doom may be the weakest of the trilogy, but that doesn't mean it is a bad game. It does have a few flaws, but it is still a solid title and a nice addition to the series.

Score – 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/28/04