Christmas of 1988 is permanently burned into my memory. Like many I was excited to open my presents to see if I got a new game for Christmas. What I didn’t expect was two. Both Rad Racer and Kid Niki made that holiday special. Rad Racer I still adore to this day even if it is a bit simple. But that day I was more interested in the game with the subtitle “Radical Ninja”. I didn’t care that it came in a pink box, I just thought Kid Niki looked like the most bad ass ninja this side of Snake Eyes. Of course, I fell victim to Atari 2600 levels of false advertising. But in this case at least the game is enjoyable.
Kid Niki Radical Ninja was created by Irem and but was released outside of Japan by Data East. As was standard practice back then certain…liberties were taken with the localization. Like Totally Rad awful 80s surfer speak was injected into the game although in this case it is minimal. Whether that was to Americanize it we’ll never know. But it is pointless considering anyone with half a brain could tell the game’s origins. Regardless, for such an old game (it was originally released in 1986) Kid Niki is surprisingly entertaining although it play second fiddle to the console’s best.
The radical in the title might be a little too try hard but Niki’s weapon isn’t. The spinning sword is a pretty cool weapon and does exactly what the name suggests. It is pretty large, spawns an inch in front of you, and covers a large spread. You can take out most enemies without being particular about your aim thanks to this. The spinning sword is so overpowered you only have one other power-up, a silver bell that creates a temporary rotating shield. Normally this would get old but the focus is squarely on platforming.
Despite its simple appearance Kid Niki is plenty challenging. Enemies rarely stop spawning, creating a sense of urgency to keep moving forward. The timer also reinforces this, although the clock is pretty generous. What the two combined do accomplish is to make less wary players rush into making amateur mistakes. Tricky enemy placement and platforms will sap your lives if you don’t pay attention. But any slight platforming veteran will likely steamroll this game.
If there is any one area that Kid Niki excels in it is its goofy bosses. Death Breath is the most memorable, with his large head and signature breath attack. He resembles a certain monk from Big Trouble in Little China. There’s an angry monk who repeatedly calls you a fool, with the word balloon dropping the letters to further spell out that you are an idiot. Then there is Spike, who runs after you like a moron. They aren’t all hapless however. The Samurai Guard is one of the most challenging fights in the game. The horned witch fight is confusing and I still question how I avoided death at times. Then there is the final boss…
While the bosses are funny fighting them is not. The game does not do a good job of communicating their weak spot. Even worse, every time you hit them you sword goes flying and needs to be retrieved. Take Death Breath. His window of vulnerability is very small; only when he is jumping or facing away can he be hit. For the Samurai Guard you need to take a huge risk and wait for him in the corner. His window is only after you hit his spear and it drops. But you need to be close to retrieve your sword before he grabs his spear. It sounds fun but the game does a piss poor job of clueing you in. Its little details like this that separate a Kid Niki from a classic like Mega Man.
In Closing
I had my reservations about revisiting Kid Niki. I remember it fondly but also recognize that it is a bit simple. But I was worried for no reason. Kid Niki is not a lost classic but is at least above average. I wouldn’t recommend it over other NES platformers but it is a solid second string title.
