NINJA HAYATE HD-Remaster

thank you, i have not played this game in over 20 years. I have the laser disk of the games. bring more of the old games like this out. 10 out of 10. MORE MORE MORE Please.

これらのゲームを保存してくれてありがとう、TAITOさん！とても楽しいです！

As LaserDisc games go, this one is pretty good. It's older than "Time Gal" and it shows (diagonals, really?!) but I think the controls are much more responsive and forgiving than the Steam version of "Dragon's Lair."

If you're looking for 'deep gameplay' or 'bang for your buck', then you're in the absolute worse place you could be, I fully completed the game in a little under 3 hours and the entirety of the gameplay are quick time events, now there are dificulty levels from 1 to 4, on level 1 you can comfortably go by your reactions, anything over that and at some point you have to fully memorise the route because the promts become too fast to react. And Ninja Hayate has a unique problem compared to Time Gal the game I bought bundled with this one and that is, that the directional promts sometimes are diagonals and you aren't supposed to press a diagonal, you're supposed to guess if it's more to the right than to upwards... you're gonna miss a few of these, I'm sure. Other than that, I love the animation, and I bought it no regrets because I wanted to have this little piece of history (alongside time gal) but if that doesn't interest you, yeah, I would say don't buy, but if you're a weeb or fan of animation... you should wait for a rather deep sale.

Ninja Hayate est un jeu japonais des années 80 initialement sorti sur bornes d'arcade, proposant une expérience de film interactif d'époque grâce à une technologie en LaserDisc. Cela consistait à utiliser des disques laser afin d'offrir des animations vidéo de haute qualité et ainsi y incorporer du gameplay pour en faire un film interactif jouable, ce qui était nouveau pour l'époque. Ce jeu n'est vraiment pas connu en occident car jusqu'à sa sortie sur Steam, il n'était disponible qu'au Japon sur arcade, mais aussi sur consoles japonaises via des portages. C'est donc la toute première fois que Ninja Hayate est disponible à l'international. C'est aussi le tout premier jeu en LaserDisc de Taito, les créateurs du célèbre Space Invaders. Leur troisième jeu en LaserDisc se nommant Time Gal (qui est beaucoup plus connu depuis sa sortie internationale à l'époque, contrairement à Ninja Hayate) est également disponible sur Steam. Étant donné que les versions HD de Ninja Hayate et Time Gal sont sortis en même temps (et aussi en vente ensemble sous forme de bundle) je vous invite à lire mon évaluation de Time Gal qui est plus complète que celle-ci concernant l'origine de ces deux jeux, histoire que je n'ai pas à me répéter et à faire deux introduction identiques. Pour commencer, visuellement le jeu est magnifique. Grâce à un anime fait par Toei Animation, le visuel d'époque est magnifiquement bien retranscrit, et encore plus dans ce remaster ! C'est un véritable plaisir pour les yeux. On y incarne Hayate, un ninja du Japon féodal qui a pour but de sauver une princesse kidnappée par un clan ennemi maléfique. Il s'introduit alors dans leur base et doit battre monstres et combattants, mais aussi éviter des pièges en tout genre. Concernant le gameplay, c'est un jeu à QTE comme Time Gal. Il faut appuyer sur la touche d'action au bon moment et suivre le bon sens des flèches qui s'affichent à l'écran dans un temps imparti afin de pouvoir passer chaque niveau. Le jeu est difficile suivant le mode de difficulté sélectionné (mais moins dur que Time Gal dans tous les cas) et connaître certains niveaux par cœur sera recommandé pour obtenir un bon score en mode hard. D'ailleurs, il est fortement recommandé de faire ce jeu à la manette. Pour comprendre les options du jeu, je vous invite à regarder les explications des paramètres directement dans la description Steam de la page du magasin du jeu. Comme Time Gal, le jeu possède un système de galerie que l'on peut compléter en visualisant au moins une fois chaque scène d'action et de mort. Parlons maintenant des points négatifs que je reproche au jeu par rapport à Time Gal : - Le jeu est plus court que Time Gal qui lui aussi n'était déjà pas très long de base ! Et la difficulté des QTE est légèrement plus accessible, ce qui peut plaire aux débutants, mais cela enlève du challenge et réduit encore plus la rejouabilité du jeu. De plus, il y a une option qui nous permet carrément de sauter un niveau automatiquement si on meurt plus de trois fois dans celui-ci... - Aucune musique dans le jeu, si ce n'est à la fin après avoir battu le boss final. Certes, ils n'ont pas changé l'état du jeu d'origine et donc le manque de musique est originellement voulu, mais même sur l'écran titre et le menu principal il n'y a rien, pas une seule mélodie. Cela ne gâche pas l'expérience pour autant mais c'est étrange et très étonnant. - Certains QTE peuvent porter à confusion, notamment le sens de certaines flèches qui parfois pointent en diagonale au lieu de haut, bas, gauche, droite. On ne sait donc jamais vraiment si par exemple, il faut appuyer en haut ou à droite quand une flèche pointe en haut à droite... Ça peut nous faire perdre des vies bêtement et ça peut-être frustrant. Sur Time Gal il n'y a pas ce "problème". Pour conclure, ma note pour Ninja Hayate est de 5/10. J'ai effectivement préféré Time Gal à qui j'ai donné un point en plus, qui selon moi propose une expérience plus complète et plus immersive. Comme dit précédemment, la trop courte durée et le manque de rejouabilité du jeu pèsent lourd malgré les superbes visuels d'époque. Ninja Hayate reste une très belle expérience que je recommande, mais comme pour Time Gal, je trouve que le jeu est beaucoup trop cher pour ce qu'il propose. Si vous aimez les animes des années 80, vous pourriez vous laisser tenter même si je vous recommande d'attendre une promotion. Mais si faire uniquement des QTE dans un jeu aussi court n'est pas un concept qui vous intéresse particulièrement, passez votre chemin. Ce jeu est surtout destiné aux fans de jeux rétro et d'animation japonaise. C'est tout pour moi, merci beaucoup de m'avoir lu et je vous conseille fortement d'aller voir mon évaluation sur Time Gal si jamais les deux jeux vous intéresse ! Bon jeu !

This game is Fire 🔥 In my childhood, i used to play this masterpiece in my Sega CD. Unfortunately, my Revenge of the Ninja copy broke into pieces while i tried to put my Sega CD in the Attic... But, finally, i can play this game in Steam!!! Some things changed, like, the game sound, i don't know why there is no music (i think there is a config) the game music was epic back in the old days! So... if you want to buy the game, buy it without remorse :D

*NINJA HAYATE HD-Remaster*, developed and published by TAITO CORP., is a striking example of early arcade experimentation brought forward into the modern era with minimal alteration to its original design philosophy. Rather than reimagining the experience for contemporary audiences, this remaster preserves the structure and pacing of the 1984 LaserDisc title, offering players a chance to engage with a piece of gaming history that prioritizes cinematic presentation over traditional interactivity. It’s a release that feels deliberately frozen in time, for better and for worse. The game follows Hayate, a young ninja tasked with infiltrating a dangerous stronghold to rescue a captured princess. The narrative is simple and largely serves as a connective thread between action sequences, but it works effectively within the context of the game’s format. Each segment introduces new dangers—enemy ninjas, hidden traps, and even supernatural threats—giving the journey a sense of escalating intensity. The progression through the castle and its surrounding environments creates a steady rhythm of tension and release, even if the story itself remains straightforward and largely secondary to the action unfolding on screen. Gameplay is entirely built around timed inputs, making it a classic example of the interactive movie genre. Players are not directly controlling Hayate in a freeform way; instead, they respond to prompts by pressing specific directions or actions at the exact right moment. When successful, the animation continues seamlessly, creating the illusion of control over a fluid, cinematic sequence. When unsuccessful, the game punishes mistakes immediately, often with dramatic and sometimes exaggerated failure scenes before restarting the sequence. This loop creates an experience that initially feels intense and reactive, but gradually reveals itself to be heavily dependent on memorization. As players learn the correct inputs through repetition, the challenge shifts from reflex-based play to pattern recognition. One of the more interesting aspects of *NINJA HAYATE HD-Remaster* is its slight variation within this rigid structure. Unlike some other LaserDisc titles, it introduces branching paths and occasional randomness in its sequences, which adds a degree of unpredictability. While these variations don’t drastically change the overall experience, they help prevent it from feeling entirely scripted and encourage replay to see alternate scenarios. This design choice gives the game a bit more longevity than its peers, even if it still remains limited by its core mechanics. Visually, the game remains its strongest asset. The original animation, produced for LaserDisc technology, was impressive for its time, and the HD remaster enhances that presentation without losing its retro charm. The hand-drawn anime style captures the aesthetic of early 1980s animation, with expressive character movements and dramatic action sequences that still carry a certain appeal today. The variety of settings and encounters keeps the visuals engaging, even as the gameplay loop repeats. While the animation may not match modern standards of detail, its historical significance and stylistic consistency give it a unique identity. That said, the limitations of the design are impossible to overlook. The lack of player freedom can make the experience feel restrictive, especially for those accustomed to modern action games with deeper systems and greater control. The reliance on trial-and-error progression may also frustrate players, as success often comes from memorizing sequences rather than developing skill in a traditional sense. Additionally, the overall length is relatively short, and once the sequences are mastered, there is little left to discover beyond minor variations. Despite these shortcomings, *NINJA HAYATE HD-Remaster* succeeds in preserving a unique style of gameplay that represents an important chapter in gaming history. It captures a time when developers were experimenting with blending animation and interactivity in ways that pushed the boundaries of available technology. While it may not offer the depth or replayability expected from modern titles, it provides a distinctive experience that stands apart from contemporary design trends. Ultimately, *NINJA HAYATE HD-Remaster* is best appreciated as an interactive relic—something to be experienced for its historical value and stylistic charm rather than its gameplay depth. Players who approach it with an understanding of its origins are more likely to appreciate what it offers, while those seeking a fully modern experience may find it lacking. It remains an intriguing, if limited, journey into the early days of cinematic gaming. Rating: 7/10

如果一直續關 流程只有短短的不到30分鐘 價格卻貴到離譜 我敢說去街機投幣到通關也不用這麼貴 而且遊戲存在嚴重bug 我玩了二局 開局竟然在不同關卡 而且通關後還有關卡尚未解鎖 遊戲設定為中文後 顯示依然是日文 要不是本身很喜歡玩街機的話 完全不推薦購買

TL;DR review: Currently only worth buying on sale IF you like FMV games. Was $10 during the summer sale. Sale on bundle with Time Gal was $18. Compare to the outrageously expensive $25 base price just for Hayate OR Time Gal, not both. Not worth it, especially given how the game is mostly a basic ♥♥♥♥♥ port of the arcade game with no bonus features. Giving a recommend because I appreciate the game being preserved this way and made publicly available. -----------non tl;dr review----------- If you ever learn about Japan, you will discover the country has a habit of importing culture it thinks is cool from other countries, then personalizes it to be Japanese. Japan has been like this forever. Over a millennium ago, the Japanese emperor literally said Japan wasn't cultured enough and organized kentoshi, a series of envoys to China to bring culture back to Japan. One of the most popular imports from this mission was Buddhism which Japan transformed into something entirely unique to Japan. Fast forward to 1983. Dragon's Lair hits North American arcades like an atomic bomb. 1st game I remember requiring TWO quarters to play. Dragon's Lair was so massively popular, this .50 price didn't stop people from feeding the machine quarters. Japan seemingly got jealous and quickly started cranking out laser disc games of their own. Almost all of which will be forgotten. Just like Ninja Hayate! It came out in 1984, 1 year after Dragon's Lair. Ninja Hayate is essentially an instance of modern kentoshi. It copies Dragon's Lair, sometimes shamelessly... But clearly in Japanese. Hayate is obviously a Japanese version of Dirk the Daring entering a Japanese castle to rescue a Japanese princess from King Ghidora, a Japanese dragon. I'm not even kidding. Hayate even has the same color scheme as Dirk, and some scenes are flagrant, but not exact, copies. Though, one major difference is Don Bluth used Playboy models as inspiration for princess Daphne. Whereas Taito used ancient Japanese woodblock carving porn as inspiration for Hayate's princess. As a game, Ninja Hayate is a mostly competent rip-off of Dragon's Lair, however it has two major frustrations: first is many prompts offer an impossibly short reaction time. You'll die a lot unless you have super human reflexes or have the scene memorized. Second, and more annoyingly, is the game only uses 4 directions and will frequently throw diagonal prompts at you. Only 1 of the 2 directions displayed is correct which is really, really gay, but hey this was an arcade game and the goal was to get the player to feed quarters to the machine. Thankfully Ninja Hayate isn't like other, gayer FMV games like Space Ace with that one space ship sequence you've got to fly through a tiny corridor. One screen required a perfect diagonal input. If you hit one direction or the other and not *perfectly* diagonal first try, you crash and die. This was a game ending screen for me. I know Don Bluth didn't program the game, but ♥♥♥♥ you anyway, Don. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I wasted $3 trying to enjoy that game I randomly found in a Cincy arcade only to get ♥♥♥♥♥♥ by that one screen Anyway, there's not much else to say. FMV games are the most shallow games out there. People hate 'em for a reason. Hayate is actually one of the more gooder ones, but that's not saying much since the 'game' is basically playing a very short movie with a DVD remote that ends if you don't press the right button at the right time. Again, recommending because I appreciate preserving the game. Laserdisc games did NOT stick around in arcades for long due to their expensive and highly prone to fail hardware. They were also largely sidelined due to the video game crash of 82 (the one striking arcades, not the one striking home consoles months later). DON'T BUY IT AT FULL PRICE THOUGH, unless you want to be ripped off by Taito. Hopeful but doubtful Taito will publish Star Blazers, their 3rd FMV arcade game. [strike]I know 100% that wasn't Japan only since I played in an arcade in upstate New York back in the 80's [/strike] edit: after looking it up, came to realize it was Freedom Fighter I played, not Star Blazers. Easy to misremember and get confused since Freedom Fighter was Galaxy Express turned into an arcade LD game. Still hope Taito publishes the HD Star Blazers tho.

:: LaserDisc - 1983 - Don Bluth ::