Ninja Crusaders

A ninja-oriented combat game in the vein of Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, Ninja Crusaders is a standard entry in the genre that's noteworthy for its two-player simultaneous play and the main characters' ability to transform into a tiger, eagle, dragon or scorpion by holding down the A button. The graphics are about average for an NES game of the period, adequately depicting the enemies, scenery and ninja transformations without really drawing attention to themselves. Yet whatever potential the game may have had is ruined by its one-hit deaths, making Ninja Crusaders a title only for restless NES players looking for a challenge. ~ Skyler Miller, All Game Guide