Ninja Gaiden (Ch. 1 + 2)

When I say the words "Ninja Gaiden" what do you think of? Is it the fast-paced gameplay that was unlike anything we had seen before on the original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System? Is it the near impossible levels with their kamikaze birds? Is it the mysterious character that has been a part of three NES games, four Dead or Alive entries, two Xbox titles and a whole slew of spin-offs, remakes and re-releases on other consoles? Nope. When I say "Ninja Gaiden" the first thing you think of is the deep, involving story.

Ninja Gaiden was trying to do something unheard of in the 8-bit era; it was an action game that actually had a story. Told in short cinemas, Ninja Gaiden featured an enthralling story about family bonds, evil monsters, killer birds and revenge. And the game was a lot of fun to play, too. But when you look back at Tecmo's mega-selling Ninja Gaiden it's hard to think about anything but the fantastic story. While it's silly by today's standards, it was important that the developers put so much care into developing these characters and their struggle.

In 1989 Scholastic decided to publish a book called "Worlds of Power: Ninja Gaiden". This 120 page book promised a more complete story, one that would fill in all of the holes found in the game. But instead of doing that this Worlds of Power book proved to be unintentionally hilarious. It's clear that everybody involved (including author A.L. Singer and book creator F.X. Nine) were simply out to cash a check, because this tiny little pulp novel is pure garbage.

But just because it's bad doesn't mean it's not entertaining. To celebrate our 7th anniversary, Defunct Games is proud to present to you our newest weekly show - Cyril Reads Ninja Gaiden. Over the next thirteen weeks you will hear two chapters read to you in the classic books-on-tape format. We've included music and sound effects to spruce everything up, and stick around after the chapters for a short open letter to the author. We have a hunch that you're going to hate this book ... but if you're anything like me (and I think you are) then you're also going to look forward to hearing what happens next in the exciting adventure that is Ninja Gaiden!

Now is your chance to experience this 19 year old book like never before, using incredible audio technology and a firm grasp on the fundamentals of reading. Join us as we journey blindly into the first episode, featuring chapters one and two ...