Nintendo Switch Online adds Ninja Gaiden III and two other NES classics

Nintendo added three games to the Nintendo Switch Online NES library today. Subscribers can now boot up Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, R.C. PRO-AM II, and Ikari Warriors. The announcement trailer dropped this morning, and the games are already live on the service.

As a kid, I couldn't believe how cool Ninja Gaiden III was. Other than the mario series, it is the only other series I made sure to own every game from. Tecmo released this third and final chapter of the 8-bit saga in 1991. The plot follows Ryu Hayabusa as he tries to discover the real culprit behind Irene's death. It introduced new mechanics like swinging from overhead pipes, along with a Western localization that cranked the difficulty up to punishing levels.

The North American version of Ninja Gaiden III is infamous. Tecmo removed the password system present in the Japanese Famicom release and strictly limited the player's continues. Enemies also deal twice as much damage. It forces you to memorize enemy placements and master the sword mechanics to survive. With this release, the entire original NES trilogy is finally available on the Switch.

Four players on one screen

Rare released R.C. PRO-AM II in late 1992, right near the end of the console's lifespan. It took the isometric racing of the original game and added simultaneous four-player support via the NES Four Score accessory. You can race against computer-controlled cars or human opponents across 24 different tracks.

The sequel leans heavily into vehicular combat and upgrades. You collect cash prizes during races to buy better parts in the model shop. There are also bonus events like the Tug O' Truck Challenge and a drag race to earn extra championship points. It is chaotic in the best way. The inclusion of another Rare property highlights the ongoing licensing cooperation between Nintendo and Microsoft.

Before the fighting tournaments

SNK's Ikari Warriors completes the September lineup. The 1986 arcade port drops warriors Paul and Vince into a top-down run-and-gun mission against an evil nation. Ammo is strictly limited, forcing you to constantly grab resupplies dropped by defeated enemies. You can also hijack tanks and helicopters to push through the enemy base.

The arcade original used specialized rotary joysticks so players could move in one direction while shooting in another. The NES port had to adapt those controls to a standard D-pad, which changes the pacing considerably. The two main characters, better known as Ralf Jones and Clark Still, eventually left the jungle behind to become permanent roster fixtures in The King of Fighters series starting in 1994. Ikari Warriors established many of the cooperative mechanics that SNK would later perfect in the Metal Slug series.

Source: ninten.do