The President has been kidnapped by Ninjas! Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the President?Ah, Bad Dudes...This game has a special place in my NES Collection, mostly because it's fun to play, but also because it has such a simple, yet somehow ridiculous story. Basically, the President of the USA has been kidnapped by Ninjas, and it's up to two "Bad Dudes" to rescue him. What makes this story so odd is that NO ONE, not even a Ninja, could approach the President without being shot. At least, that's what I think. Anyway, on with the review.
Gameplay: 3.0/5.0
This is a pretty basic Beat'em Up, but I still find it fun. You move left and right, punching and kicking enemies (In this case, Ninjas) to kill them. There aren't many moves, and the enemies are fairly weak, save for the bosses, but being Ninjas, they have some dirty tricks up they're sleeves, such as setting themselves on fire and then running at you at full speed. One trick I especially hate is when they throw spikes on the ground, which can be a pain to jump over.
Graphics: 3.5/5.0
This game has some decent graphics that are just above average. It's definitely nice to look at, especially the Japanese Version, as that version has the bosses taunt you before each fight with them, and they're faces look really good in 8-Bit. This was taken out of the US Version for whatever reason. I'm not sure why.
Control: 1.5/5.0
Ugh...the Controls...It feels like the buttons are incorrectly mapped, but wait! That's because they are! For more unknown reasons, the attack button and the jump button were switched around for the US release. Seriously, this is annoying, and it makes the game harder than it actually is.
Difficulty: 4.0/5.0
This game is hard, as I mentioned before. There is little that is easy about it, but I love a good challenge, so I didn't have a problem with this. One boss in particular, Stage 6's, is especially tough, as his hits can drain your health before you even know what's going on.
Overall Score: 4.0/5.0
It may seem like I was a little harsh on this game, but I really do like it. It's fun, and well worth any NES Player's time. The ending is lame as hell though. Still, the ending song "Hail to the Chief", sounds pretty cool in 8-Bit Sound.
Thanks for reading!
Fun Facts:
-There is an Arcade Version of this game.
-The Japanese Version is called "Dragon Ninja".
-In the Arcade Version, the President is named Ronnie. Most likely based off R. Reagan.
-The Arcade Version is MUCH more difficult than it's NES brother.
