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I'm working on a few game ideas that I would really like to develop on the Atari ST and possibly other platforms. This game was a bit obscure and not very popular, but I've always had a deep love for Ninja Mission by Masteronics. This was a fun beat 'em up; the purpose of the game was to fight through a horde of thugs to confront the final end boss. There was no scrolling to speak of and each screen was static. Each level could be reached through a small hole in the ceiling. Pressing 'up' on the joystick would send the ninja through the hole and into the next area. The game execution was simple and got progressively harder as you battled group after group of martial art attacking thugs.

I've always felt more could have been done with this game. The game play is very 80'ish and lacks the finesse of today's fighters, but it was the simplistic nature of the game that made it so compelling. Weapons were very limited to throwing daggers and a sword attached to your back; you'd swing the sword over your head to strike your opponent.

My idea expands on the idea; a 2-player option would be a must and would greatly enhance the experience. Plus, the game should have more weapons for the player to use. I'm not just suggesting a larger selection of weapons, but having the capability to switch between your fists / feet and your sword for example. The flying through the ceiling part was ok, but possibly adding a grappling hook feature and having the player scale the wall into the opening ( while thugs crawl up the rope after you) would add an urgent element to the game. It would also be interesting to have other locations instead of limiting the environment to a single area. Hmmm... I dunno... I still have to work out the details.