Iga Ninden Gaiou

Iga Ninden Gaiou is a side-scrolling action game released for the NEC PC Engine CD in 1993, exclusively in Japan. Developed by Nihon Bussan, it drops you into a feudal Japan setting where you control a ninja on a mission. The game makes use of the CD format to provide animated cutscenes and a richer soundtrack than cartridge-based titles of the era. You move from left to right across stages, slashing enemies with your sword and using ninja tools like shurikens and bombs. Special attacks consume a magic gauge that refills over time. Each level ends with a boss fight requiring pattern recognition. The game also includes simple platforming sections where you must jump between ledges and avoid traps. Compared to other PC Engine ninja games like Ninja Spirit, Gaiou feels slower but offers more deliberate combat. Its CD-quality music and animated story scenes give it a cinematic edge for its time, but the gameplay stays firmly in the arcade-inspired action genre. If you enjoy Japanese action games from the early 90s and don't mind reading menu text in Japanese, this is a decent curio from the platform's later years.