Review: Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell Deluxe

destructoid.com:

I’ve held water for Ninja Jajamaru-kun for some years now. I remember picking up its plum-hued cartridge and deciding it was worth the $5 just to see what was on it. My hunch was correct; it was indeed worth $5. While it’s a rather basic arcade-style title, it feels like the perfect encapsulation of the pre-Zelda Famicom market. It’s distinctly Japanese and already made to feel antiquated by Super Mario Bros., which was released a couple of months prior.

I often refer to the Ninja JaJaMaru series as “almost-classics.” They always seemed to be a few steps behind whatever was popular at the time. A follower, not a leader, and it’s hard to tell if the games were an earnest attempt at being anything more.

Japan has had a collection of Ninja JaJaMaru games since 2019, and I really didn’t believe there was any possibility of that making its way anywhere else. I’m happy to see that ININ Games and City Connection were willing to put in the effort to localize these niche games. I’m swollen with enthusiasm to talk about them again. However, I’m in an awkward position. As much as I want people to experience these games, they’re definitely not required reading to begin with, and the actual package is rather lacking.

Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell Deluxe Edition is a bundle of two apps. The first is a selection of five of the classic side-scrollers in Ninja JaJaMaru: Retro Collection. Next, there’s Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell which is a tribute game. I will probably circle back and review the two RPGs included in Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs at a later date, but since there’s no way to buy it as part of one bundle, I’ve left it at the side for now.

Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell Deluxe (P