Shadow Warriors Longplay (Arcade) [60 FPS]

Developed and published by Tecmo in 1988.

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Also known as Ninja Gaiden, this coin-op hit the arcades in 1988.

The objective of the game is fight through multiple stages filled with thugs and ne'er do-wells in a mission to confront the evil Bladeamus, descendent of Nostradamus, in a bid to prevent him from bringing about his ancestor's prophecies of doom and destruction.

Ridiculous plot aside, this game still remains one of my favourite side-scrolling beat 'em up games of all time. I'd originally played the Amiga home computer version (which is excellent) and finally got to play the arcade original many years later.

The game boasted some impressively interactive environments for it's day. The ability to hurl opponents into barrels or phone boxes and see them explode in a fireball was tremendous fun. The ability to hand from street signs and tree branches and kicking opponents whilst swinging was also a novel feature and could really send enemies flying across the screen.

The game features multiple enemy types that range from thugs armed with spiked knuckle dusters to shambling behemoths wearing curly toed slippers and wielding massive logs adorned with deadly spikes.

The players primary attack simply involves hitting a button to deliver a series of blows, although the designers made the attacks flow through three separate animations that conveyed the impression of different attacks when, in reality, the player is just mashing a button. In the event of collecting the sword power-up, the melee moves are replaced with a swift sword strike that can knock down an opponent in a single hit.

The second attack move available is the flying shoulder-throw. This move is more powerful than the regular punches but does leave the player exposed to attacks from the rear upon landing.

On a technical level, the game features some great graphics, smooth scrolling and some great sound effects. Hurling enemies into street furniture results in a satisfying explosion or splintering of wood and cannot fail to raise a smile!

If the game weren't fun already, a friend can join in for some simultaneous co-op ninja action!

Easy to pick up and fun to play, Shadow Warriors features highly on the list of arcade beat 'em ups that everyone should play at least once!
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