Ninja JajaMaru: Ninja Skill Book (NES NTSC)

There's always a sequel hiding in the shadows. Ninja JajaMaru: Ninja Skill Book for NES NTSC brings the second JaJaMaru RPG to Western collectors for the first time ever on an NES-compatible cartridge, exclusively through Strictly Limited Games on Nintendo Switch. Only 2,400 individually numbered copies exist worldwide, so the window on this one is narrow.

Where The Legend of the Golden Castle introduced us to JaJaMaru's RPG side, Ninja Skill Book pushes the action further. This time our favorite ninja is up against the Great Demon Fairy, who's trying to summon a monstrous entity that could tear the world apart. It plays like a love letter to late-era Famicom action RPGs, the kind of game that would have consumed entire weekends if we'd had access to it back in the day.

What makes this cartridge special is the context. This game was locked behind a language barrier and regional exclusivity for over three decades. Now it's sitting on a fresh NES-compatible cart with a full-color manual, ready to slot into your collection alongside its sibling title. Each copy is individually numbered, which means yours has its own identity on the shelf.

For those of us who've spent years hunting down obscure Famicom RPGs, this is a gift. No reproduction carts, no questionable sourcing. Just a legitimate, brand-new release of a game that deserved our attention decades ago. The ninja awaits.