Over the Wire

For most gamers, the title Ninja Gaiden conjures up memories of the 2004 Tecmo Xbox classic with fast-paced ninja action, amazing graphics, and a difficulty curve equivalent to slamming face-first into a brick wall. Few gamers actually know that the Xbox game shares its title with the original Ninja Gaiden for the Nintendo Entertainment System, published by Tecmo in March of 1989. The original shares more than the title with the more recent blockbuster—it, too, is fast as hell and hard as nails. With Ninja Gaiden 2 coming out for the Xbox 360 this year, why not journey back to where it all began with Ninja Gaiden for the NES on the Wii Virtual Console? At only $5, it’s too fun not to pick up a controller and try it—just prepare to throw it like a shuriken—more commonly known as a ninja star—out of frustration.