35 Years Later, A Brutally Difficult NES Game Has Returned

Published Sep 3, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream. You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias. Find Chris on Twitter @_SRChris. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) has gone down in history as one of the most influential consoles ever. It snagged the 14th spot overall on the best-selling system list, right under the Nintendo 3DS and above the Xbox One. Gaming was completely different back in 1983 when it was first released for the Famicom in Japan. No one really knew what developers would achieve nearly a decade later when studios were still making games for it, even into the lifespan of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). One game in particular came at a particularly late time for the NES, and it influenced an entire generation, both at the studio itself and gaming habits in general. Now, you can play it on modern platforms. Check Out Nintendo Classics This past week, Nintendo added three more games to its Nintendo Classics service, which are now live on the Switch family of consoles. While Ikari Warriors and R.C. Pro-Am 2 are interesting in their own right, the real big ticket here is Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom, which is found on the NES Classics line. To call this a classic is an understatement. Immortalized on the original NES in 1991 and later on the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy on SNES, this is a tough retro platformer, but it also helped make Ninja Gaiden what it is today. If the weird title wasn't a clue, this game goes places. Here's a quick primer for what you're getting into: "The Ancient Ship of Doom was released by Koei Tecmo in 1991 for an 8-bit home console. In this side-scrolling action game, the Dragon Ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, fights with his katana and ninjutsu to prove his innocence in the murder of Irene and uncover the truth. Enjoy the ninja battles and "Tecmo Theater", which have evolved even further since the previous game." The Ancient Ship of Doom is strangely set after the first game but before the second, providing a literal gaiden of sorts for Ryu as he attempts to clear his name after being framed. It involves demonic entities, creepy locales, and the CIA. Yes, seriously. This series really went for it, even back in the '90s. The Original Ninja Gaiden Trilogy Helped Set The Stage The thing about Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom is that it further laid the groundwork for what the series would eventually become: a strange ninja-filled romp through mechanical and demonic settings, beyond the scope of just taking on provincial enemies. That legacy continued throughout the franchise and was solidified in Ninja Gaiden Black, released during the original Xbox era. That entry kept the classic wacky feel of The Ancient Ship of Doom, pitting Ryu Hayabusa against enemies with future weaponry and tech while still taking on classic demons. Over the years, echoes of The Ancient Ship of Doom have also appearedin many other games, including one of the most recent entries: Ragebound. The quality of the NES trilogy of games speaks for itself and helped keep Ninja Gaiden alive for years to come. Now, you can play it on Switch. Date Founded September 23, 1889 CEO Satoru Iwata Parent Company Nintendo Subsidiaries Nintendo EPD, Nintendo SPD, Nintendo EAD Consoles Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch Lite Services Nintendo Switch Online