The Edge: Ninja Golf Is First Confirmed Game For Evercade Portable Console

Initial release date: 1990
Developer: BlueSky Software
Genre: Beat 'em up
Mode: Single-player video game
Publishers: Atari Corporation, Atari, Atari, Inc.

The upcoming release of the new portable gaming console Evercade features Atari as the first confirmed publisher for the system. Among the games in the Atari collection is one of the systems first confirmed games, Ninja Golf for the Atari 7800.

Released in 1990, Ninja Golf was one of the last games published for the Atari 7800. In the game, you have been training to be a ninja for ten years, and just as you are about to take your final test, your master throws you a curve ball and tells you that your final test is to play nine holes of Ninja Golf.

When preparing for your final test, you never thought that you would have to make a birdie between karate kicks, but that is the exact plan your master has laid out. Along the way through your nine holes, and battling ninja opponents, you gain points for your golf game and by battling attacking ninja. While finishing out the course, you can also gain points by finding treasure and other bonus items along the way.

Items:

To pick up an item, move your Ninja over the item and crouch. The following items can be found on every hole.

After taking your swing, you will encounter your enemies on the course while retrieving your ball. Some of the foes that will be attacking you along the way are frogs, ninja guards, warriors, and gophers. In the sand traps you will find deadly snakes, and hungry sharks swim in the water traps waiting to attack.

Scoring:

You receive points for eliminating enemies, making your golf shots, and picking up items.

Golf Scores

Eagle.............................................................8,000 points
Birdie............................................................7,000 points
Par.................................................................6,000 points

Enemies

Ninja Warriors..............................................170 points
Animals........................................................100 to 200 points

Items

Power ups and treasure.................................10 to 50 points

Once you finally make it through the nine holes of birdies, par, and ninja battles, you will have to fight your final battle against the master ninja in order to become a master ninja yourself. Winning the final battle will also improve your golf score.

Tips & Tricks:

Save your Ninja Stars for the water and forest areas, which are the most difficult sections of the game.

For a higher score, take the shortest path between the tee and the green.

Sometimes the ninja that runs away lives to fight another day. You can also jump over your enemies rather than attack.

Due to the games late release toward the end of the Atari 7800 era, Ninja Golf is a great looking game that many gamer's did not have the chance to play, which makes it a solid selection to be announced as the first confirmed game on the Atari collection cartridge for the Evercade portable console.