The Atari 7800+ is right around the corner, so we turn our attention to Atari 7800 exclusive title: Ninja Golf. Ninja Golf is a beat ’em up/golf video game developed by BlueSky Software and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari 7800. Gameplay consists of the ninja player character hitting a golf ball at the beginning of each hole (stage) then fighting various enemies in side-scrolling sections to reach it. Each green is guarded by a fire-breathing dragon boss that the player must defeat by throwing shurikens.
The game’s design team consisted of programmers David A. Dentt and David R. Sullivan. A version for Atari 8-bit computers was in simultaneous production but was cancelled. The game’s 1990 release was one of the Atari 7800’s last before the console’s discontinuation.
Critical reception for Ninja Golf has been mixed, though retrospective media coverage has seen its unusual concept and blend of genres as very memorable. The game has since been featured on several retro game compilations, services, and consoles. An enhanced remake for iOS and Android was developed by Alpha Dog Games and released by Atari Interactive in 2019.
