Classic Games

The Last Ninja

Isometric excellence

System 3's martial arts masterpiece combined isometric exploration, combat, and Ben Daglish's legendary SID soundtrack.

C64SpectrumAmiga action-adventureisometricc64-essential 1987–1991

Overview

The Last Ninja arrived on the Commodore 64 in 1987 and immediately became a benchmark for what the platform could achieve. Isometric graphics that felt three-dimensional. Combat that required timing and strategy. Puzzles that rewarded exploration. And above all, Ben Daglish’s atmospheric soundtrack—Eastern-tinged melodies that perfectly matched the ninja fantasy.

Fast facts

  • Developer: System 3.
  • Publisher: System 3 (UK), Activision (US).
  • Release: 1987 (C64), later ported to Amiga, Atari ST, PC, Spectrum.
  • Composer: Ben Daglish (C64); music programmer Anthony Lees.
  • Sequels: Last Ninja 2 (1988) and Last Ninja 3 (1991).
  • Legacy: regularly appears in “best C64 games” lists; the music remains celebrated.

The setting

You are Armakuni, sole survivor of a ninja clan massacred by the evil Kunitoki. Journey through six environments—Wastelands, Wilderness, Palace Gardens, Dungeons, Palace, and Inner Sanctum—to retrieve sacred scrolls and avenge your brothers.

Isometric innovation

The game’s isometric viewpoint was technically ambitious:

  • Pseudo-3D: environments felt spatial despite flat sprites.
  • Diagonal movement: joystick mapped to isometric angles—disorienting at first, intuitive with practice.
  • Multi-screen areas: each environment comprised multiple screens to explore.
  • Hidden items: shrubbery and scenery concealed weapons and tools.

Combat system

Fighting in The Last Ninja required patience:

  • Stance-based: punch, kick, and sword attacks with different reach and damage.
  • Timing: button-mashing didn’t work; reading enemy patterns did.
  • Weapons: found throughout levels—shuriken, nunchaku, sword, staff.
  • Difficulty: enemies hit hard; health was precious.

The soundtrack

Ben Daglish created one of the SID chip’s most celebrated soundtracks:

  • Asian influence: pentatonic scales and Eastern instrumentation (as much as SID allowed).
  • Atmosphere: each area had its own theme matching the environment.
  • Technical skill: complex arrangements within three-voice constraints.
  • Cultural impact: the music is often remembered more vividly than the gameplay.

Legacy

The Last Ninja demonstrated what dedicated development could achieve on 8-bit hardware. The sequels expanded the formula, and the original remains a touchstone for C64 enthusiasts. When people talk about the C64’s golden age, this is one of the games they mean.

See also