Ninja Gaiden has long been known for being one of the toughest series out there. If you've been afraid to jump in for fear of getting your ass handed to you, then take heart, because Ninja Gaiden II is the easiest one of the bunch.

Well, okay, it's maybe not that easy, because even the cover says that this game is "HARD TO BEAT!". But the slightly lowered difficulty should help even newbie players get into some of the best plaforming action the NES had to offer.

The story, at its' heart, is your basic "guy saves the girl" bit, but as this is a Ninja Gaiden game, there are plenty of twists and turns. Told via some very well-made cutscenes, the story is actually one of the better ones put in a NES game. It's obvious that Ninja Gaiden II tried to be something other than your average platformer.

That same sort of attention went to the gameplay, which lets you some sweet ninja moves like wall-climbing, is still extremely tight and exciting.

Yes, you will die a lot playing this game, but Ninja Gaiden II has that hard to find quality of getting you to come back for "just one more try" again and again.