The Legend of Kage

About The Legend of Kage (NES)

The Legend of Kage is a hack-and-slash platform game developed and published by Taito. It began life in arcades in October 1985, reached the Family Computer in Japan on April 18, 1986, and arrived in North America on NES in August 1987. Composer Hisayoshi Ogura provided its driving soundtrack, and the arcade original was a commercial success that led to ports on many home systems.

You play Kage, a young ninja of the Iga clan, on a mission to rescue Princess Kirihime, daughter of the Shogun, from the warlord Yoshiro Yukikusa and the samurai Yukinosuke Kiri. On NES you must rescue her three times to win, and each rescue changes the season, from summer to autumn to winter and back again. Huge leaps, tree-climbing and relentless ninja enemies made it one of the most distinctive action games of the 8-bit era.

Detailed Gameplay

The Legend of Kage is fast, vertical and unforgiving, built around five stages that loop with rising difficulty.

Sword, shuriken and huge jumps

• Kage fights with a kodachi short sword for close enemies and an unlimited supply of shuriken for distant ones.
• His jump reaches more than a screen high, letting him climb trees several screens tall and escape ambushes.
• Grabbing trees and scaling walls opens vertical routes that ground-bound enemies cannot follow easily.

Five stages, from forest to castle

• The first stage is a scrolling forest where blue and red ninja attack from the trees and ground.
• The second stage runs along a water’s edge, where ninja with breathing tubes emerge from below.
• The third stage climbs toward a temple, demanding constant jumping and careful landings.
• Later stages take you up a fortress wall and through a castle to reach the princess herself.

Crystal balls and colour powers

• In home versions, grabbing a crystal ball changes Kage’s clothes to the next colour and grants a power.
• These powers include larger shuriken and faster movement, giving you an edge against swarming enemies.
• If Kage is hit while powered up, he does not die but drops back to his normal red clothes.

The meditation scroll

• Grabbing a scroll makes Kage stand still and meditate while a lightning storm strikes nearby enemies.
• Using it at the right moment clears a dangerous crowd, but standing still leaves you exposed if timed badly.
• The trick is to trigger it when enemies are closing in, not when the screen is already clear.

Game Highlights

• Sky-high ninja jumps: Kage leaps more than a screen high and climbs trees several screens tall.
• Sword and endless shuriken: A kodachi for close fights and unlimited throwing stars for everything else.
• Five stages and changing seasons: Rescue the princess three times as summer turns to autumn and winter.
• A Taito arcade classic: A 1985 arcade hit that became a defining NES action game.

Controls

On the NES controller, Kage’s acrobatics need only the pad and two buttons. - D-Pad: Move Kage left and right and climb trees and walls. - A Button: Jump, including the huge vertical leaps that define the game. - B Button: Attack with the kodachi sword and throw shuriken. - Start Button: Pause the game. - Select Button: Use on menus and option screens where prompted.

Tips and Strategies to Win

The Legend of Kage rewards constant movement and smart use of its power-ups. - Keep jumping and climbing to stay above ground enemies, since staying still invites a swarm. - Grab crystal balls whenever they appear and protect the powered-up colour through hard sections. - Use the meditation scroll when enemies surround you, not when only one or two remain. - Throw shuriken while falling or climbing to clear landing spots before you touch down.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Who is Kage in The Legend of Kage? A: Kage is a young ninja of the Iga clan, whose name means shadow. He must rescue Princess Kirihime from the warlord Yoshiro Yukikusa and his samurai ally, fighting through forest, water, temple, fortress and castle stages.

Q: How many times do you rescue the princess on NES? A: On NES you rescue Princess Kirihime three times to win the game, with the season changing after each rescue, while the arcade version requires two rescues.

Q: Can I play The Legend of Kage online for free? A: Yes, you can play The Legend of Kage online for free in your browser here, with no download or installation needed.