ININ Games and Jaleco have teamed up to revive the Ninja JaJa Maru series and give key titles their first mainstream western release.
Three Ninja JaJaMaru collections are planned, with pre-orders starting soon for the 2023 release on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
The three collections are Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle – Deluxe Edition, Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs, and JaJaMaru: Legendary Ninja Collection. There is also an exclusive collection from Strictly Limited Games.
Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle – Deluxe Edition
This first collectoin consists six classics from the jump and run franchise, spanning several decades and platforms, and is aimed at newcomers to Ninja JaJaMaru.
It starts with the original 1985 NES game Ninja JaJaMaru-kun and is followed with the one title you might have heard of, 1994’s Super Ninja-Kid (released on SNES). The collection is topped off with the new 2022 game Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle. Each game includes some additional features, and ININ Games has also included a colorization of the 1990 Game Boy title, Oira JaJaMaru! Sekai Daibouken for modern consoles.
The full collection of titles is:
- Ninja JaJaMaru-kun (1985, Famicom/NES®)
- JaJaMaru’ no Daibouken (1986, Famicom/NES®)
- Oira JaJaMaru! Sekai Daibouken (1990, Game Boy)
- Ninja JaJaMaru – Gingadaisakusen (1991, Famicom/NES®)
- Super Ninja-kid (1994, Super Famicom/SNES®)
- Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle (2022)
Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs
In addition, ININ Games is publishing this download-only bundle two RPG entries never released outside Japan before. Ninja JaJaMaru: Ninpouchou and Ninja JaJaMaru: Gekimaden – Maboroshi no Kinmajou have never been officially played in the west, but will be presented with fully localized English captions.
JaJaMaru: Legendary Ninja Collection
The third collection is also digital-only and has been conceived for fans of the Ninja JaJaMaru franchise. JaJaMaru: Legendary Ninja Collection includes all of the previously mentioned titles:
- Ninja JaJaMaru-kun (1985, Famicom/NES®)
- JaJaMaru no Daibouken (1986, Famicom/NES®)
- Ninja JaJaMaru: Ninpouchou (1989, Famicom/NES®)
- Ninja JaJaMaru: Gekimaden – Maboroshi no Kinmajou (1990, Famicom/NES®)
- Oira JaJaMaru! Sekai Daibouken (1990, Game Boy)
- Ninja JaJaMaru – Gingadaisakusen (1991, Famicom/NES®)
- Super Ninja-kid (1994, Super Famicom/SNES®)
- Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle (2022)
Strictly Limited Games Exclusive Editions
Finally, Strictly Limited Games is issuing an exclusive physical collection for retro gaming enthusiasts, complete with retro console-compatible cartridges for NES, SNES, and GBC. This collection will include various physical collectibles unavailable anywhere else.
Pre-orders started on August 21 at midnight CEST via strictlylimited.com and at the time of writing are still available.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.