Neo Geo Premium Selection Ninja Master’s Review – A Forgotten Neo Geo Fighter Returns

Ninja Master’s made a surprisingly stealthy return as part of the Neo Geo Premium Selection during Evo Las Vegas 2026, continuing Code Mystics and SNK’s habit of quietly bringing older fighting games back into the spotlight. The seemingly random selections from SNK’s stacked 1990s catalogue have continued since the shadow release of SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos during Evo 2024, and this year’s event saw another forgotten member of the company’s archives receive a second chance.

Originally released in 1996 alongside games such as Street Fighter Alpha 2, The King of Fighters ’96, and an already crowded arcade lineup, it is not difficult to understand how someone could have gone years without hearing about or seeing Ninja Master’s. And yes, “Ninja Master’s” really is the name of the game, apostrophe and all.

Game Name: Ninja Master’s Neo Geo Premium Selection
Platform(s): PC (Steam)
Reviewed On: PC (Steam)
Genre: Fighting Game
Publisher(s): SNK
Developer(s): Code Mystics / Original Developer: ADK
Release Date: June 28, 2026

I had probably seen the game on a console by accident at some point during the 128-bit era, but even then, there was something about Ninja Master’s that caught my attention. This time, being able to sit down with it properly and experience a piece of fighting-game history that I had mostly missed felt like a privilege.

Set in a war-torn version of Japan known as Zipangu, Ninja Master’s brings together a group of warriors who have their own reasons for wanting to take down the tyrannical Nobunaga. Protagonist Sasuke stands at the centre of the story as he seeks revenge for his father’s death, while several other fighters emerge from the shadows to challenge Nobunaga and the forces serving him.

Ninja Master’s Deadly Duels

What makes Ninja Master’s stand out is its attempt to offer something more robust than many of the other fighting games it was competing against in 1996, particularly through the ability to draw and sheathe weapons during a match. Switching between armed and unarmed combat gives each character access to different normal attacks, ranges, and special moves, creating another layer of strategy that can change how someone approaches a matchup.

This does not create an entirely separate version of the character in the way an EX fighter might, but it changes enough of the moveset to make both styles useful. Depending on the fighter, drawing a weapon can increase range, alter the effectiveness of certain attacks, and open up new ways to pressure an opponent, while returning to an unarmed stance can provide its own advantages.

Fighters can also be disarmed during battle, leaving their weapons on the ground until they are able to recover them, which adds another wrinkle to the action when a match becomes chaotic. Hyper Activation provides another major mechanic, working somewhat like the MAX modes seen in The King of Fighters, as it starts a countdown that allows players to use Supers and Desperation Moves while the state remains active.

High damage is simply part of the experience in Ninja Master’s, and the game feels like one of the more merciless releases found in the combined SNK and ADK fighting-game catalogue. Matches can turn against you quickly, especially when an opponent activates Hyper mode or finds an opening for one of the game’s more powerful attacks.

The movesets also feature the sort of classic SNK thumb yoga that longtime fighting-game fans will immediately recognise, with some attacks requiring long directional motions before the attack button is pressed. Throws can be more difficult to time than expected, while the smaller character sprites can make spacing feel unusual when compared to other fighting games from the same era.

Even with those challenges, experimenting with the cast remained enjoyable, and I spent time using Kasumi, Natsume, Sasuke, and Karasu to see how differently they handled both armed and unarmed combat. Rollback netcode is included as part of this release as well, although finding anyone online to properly test it against became a challenge of its own.

One of the most useful additions to this release is Practice Mode, which gives players a much-needed opportunity to learn the game’s demanding mechanics and difficult inputs without being thrown directly into a fight. Players can even slow down the speed of the game while practising, making it easier to understand the timing behind combos, special moves, and other systems that the original release did not always explain very well.

Tournament Mode and online lobbies also return, while the Play While You Wait feature allows players to spend time in Arcade, Time Attack, or Practice Mode while searching for an opponent. It is a thoughtful addition, especially for a retro fighter that may not always have a large number of players online at the same time.

Where Ninja Master’s Misses Its Target

Ninja Master’s still has its share of flaws, and one of the most noticeable is how poorly Hyper Activation is explained to the player. The mechanic receives very little attention in the tutorial, which can leave new players confused about why it activated, what it changed, or how they are supposed to take advantage of it before the timer expires.

The biggest disappointment, however, was the lack of an active online audience, as I was unable to find a match despite searching at several different times of the day. That prevented me from properly testing both the rollback netcode and replay systems after launch, leaving two of the most important additions to this release largely inaccessible during my review period.

That experience was noticeably different from games such as Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 or World Heroes Perfect, where I could usually find at least one opponent within an hour. Rollback netcode and online lobbies are welcome features, but their usefulness becomes limited when there is nobody available to play against.

Because this release preserves the presentation of the original game, the smaller sprites and visual limitations remain intact, and neither element feels as though it received much enhancement. The included filters are also not as effective as those found in some of the other Neo Geo Premium Selection releases, which makes the overall presentation feel less polished than it could have been.

The traditional SNK inputs may also be off-putting for newer fighting-game players, especially those who are not accustomed to elongated directional motions or strict timing. Ninja Master’s is not interested in easing anyone into its systems, and it expects players to become comfortable with its demanding controls and unforgiving difficulty.

A Worthwhile Return for a Forgotten Fighter

Ninja Master’s represents an interesting page in SNK and ADK’s colourful fighting-game history, particularly because its armed and unarmed combat system gives it an identity that still feels distinct decades later. With the addition of Practice Mode, rollback netcode, Tournament Mode, online lobbies, and several other modern features, this is easily the most accessible version of the game released so far.

However, the lack of an active online audience, limited explanations, demanding inputs, and preserved visual shortcomings prevent it from becoming an essential recommendation for everyone. It may be an obscure selection from SNK’s back catalogue, but for retro fighting-game fans and Neo Geo purists, Ninja Master’s remains a worthwhile history lesson and an interesting fighter that deserved another chance to be seen.

Review Disclosure Statement: Ninja Master’s Neo Geo Premium Selection was provided to us for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media and technology, please review our Review Guidelines and Scoring Policy.