Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
忍者龍剣伝III 黄泉の方舟
- Year
- 1991
- Developer
- Tecmo
- Publisher
- Tecmo
- Platform
- FC / NES
- Hardware
- Family Computer (8-bit)
- Genre
- Action Platformer
- Players
- 1 player
- Controls
- D-pad + A (jump) / B (attack)
- Series
- Ninja Gaiden series
Gameplay Screenshots
About This Game
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom closes the NES trilogy. Ryu is framed for the murder of Irene Lew and follows the trail to a buried alien vessel, with the series' usual cinematic storytelling between acts.
It is the hardest of the three, and partly by design: Tecmo removed the unlimited continues that had made the earlier games fair, and in the Japanese original Ryu loses his sword when he takes a hit. The North American release was softened - continues are limited rather than removed, and enemy damage was reduced - but it is still the most demanding entry. Standing is no longer possible on ceilings, so the level design leans on precision wall jumps instead.
- The final chapter of the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy
- Limited continues - the series' hardest balancing
- Cinematic between-act cut-scenes continuing Ryu and Irene's story
- Precision wall-jump platforming with no ceiling cling
Version History
- Famicom Japanese version1991-06-21
Original release as Ninja Ryuukenden III; Ryu loses his sword on damage in this version.
- NES US version1991-08
The version on this page, with limited continues and reduced damage from the Japanese release.
- Ninja Gaiden Trilogy1995
Super Nintendo compilation including this game.
Tips & Strategy
Treat every continue as your last
Unlike the first two games, this one does not hand out infinite retries. Practise a stage on the way in rather than brute-forcing it.
Keep your sub-weapon charged
Ammunition is scarce and the fire-wheel clears the tight corridors that make the late stages brutal. Pick it up whenever it appears.
Wall-jump in rhythm, not in panic
Because you cannot stand on ceilings, every climb is a chain of wall jumps. Count the beat of the jump - reacting to the falling animation is what kills runs.
Learn the act 5 route
The final stages combine wind, spikes and one-hit kills. A memorised route through them is worth more than any amount of weapon stock.
Download Resources
Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.
⬇ Coming soonSimilar Games
Browse all: FC Games