Nintendo Adds Ikari, Dragon Buster, Ninja Gaiden III to Famicom Classics
The Ninja Gaiden III addition completes the trilogy on the service, making a game that trades for around 5000 yen used and tens of thousands of yen sealed available to any subscriber.
Key Facts
- Nintendo added Ikari, Dragon Buster, and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom to the Famicom Nintendo Classics service on September 2, 2026.
- The three titles are available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers at no additional cost on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
- Ikari is SNK's 1986 action shooter, Dragon Buster is Namco's 1987 action adventure, and Ninja Gaiden III is Tecmo's 1991 side-scrolling action game.
- The addition completes the Ninja Gaiden trilogy on the service, as the first two games were already available.
- Ninja Gaiden III loose copies trade for around 5000 yen used, and sealed copies for tens of thousands of yen, according to Automaton.
Reporting from 5 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, and 1 more.
Nintendo added three Famicom titles to its Nintendo Classics service on September 2: Ikari, Dragon Buster, and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. All three are available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers at no additional cost and run on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Ikari is the 1986 SNK action shooter in which players control Ralph and Clark as they infiltrate an enemy base, with limited ammunition that must be replenished from drops. Dragon Buster, released by Namco in 1987, is a side-view action adventure starring swordsman Clovis on a quest to rescue Princess Celia from a dragon. Ninja Gaiden III, Tecmo's 1991 side-scrolling action game, follows Ryu Hayabusa after he is framed for the murder of Irene Lew. The addition completes the Ninja Gaiden trilogy on the service, since the first two games were already available. The lineup drew strong reaction on X, where Dragon Buster trended and players welcomed the return of the three titles.
Nintendo added three Famicom action titles to the Nintendo Classics service on September 2, 2026, all available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers at no extra charge on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The trio spans 1986 to 1991 and comes from three different publishers: SNK, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Koei Tecmo Games. The addition completes the Ninja Gaiden trilogy on the service, since the first two games were already available, and the lineup drew strong reaction on X, where Dragon Buster trended during the morning of September 2.
Two of the three games originated in arcades before their Famicom ports: Ikari arrived in 1986 and Dragon Buster in 1987, with the Famicom versions adding content such as maps and items. Ninja Gaiden III is notable on the used market, where loose copies trade for around 5000 yen and sealed copies for tens of thousands of yen, making the subscription the cheapest way to play it.
- Ikari: 1986 SNK action shooter; players control Ralph and Clark infiltrating an enemy base, with limited ammunition from drops
- Dragon Buster: 1987 Namco side-view action adventure; swordsman Clovis rescues Princess Celia from a dragon
- Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom: 1991 Tecmo side-scrolling action; Ryu Hayabusa is framed for Irene Lew's murder
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net 「怒」「ドラゴンバスター」「忍者龍剣伝III 黄泉の方船」が「ファミリーコンピュータ Nintendo Classics」に登場
- GAME Watch (Impress) Switch Online「ファミリーコンピュータ＆スーパーファミコン＆ゲームボーイ Nintendo Classics」に「怒」「ドラゴンバスター」「忍者龍剣伝III」が追加
- Automaton 「ファミリーコンピュータ Nintendo Classics」に『忍者龍剣伝III 黄泉の方船』など3作品追加。往年のアクションてんこ盛り
- Denfaminicogamer 「ファミリーコンピュータ Nintendo Classics」に『忍者龍剣伝III 黄泉の方船』が追加！『怒』『ドラゴンバスター』とあわせて9月2日に配信
- Magmix 「激アツ」「待ってた」Switchに「語り継がれるFCアクション3本」9月2日配信で大反響