Sega Ninja
Also released as The Ninja (Sega Master System)
Sega Ninja — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Sega Ninja on?
- Sega Ninja was released on Arcade, Sega Master System/Mark III, SG-1000, MSX.
- When did Sega Ninja release?
- Sega Ninja was first released on March 1, 1985.
About Sega Ninja
Sega Ninja, originally released as Ninja Princess in Japan, is a 1985 run and gun video game developed and published by Sega for arcades. The player controls Princess Kurumi, the titular female ninja, who battles enemies using throwing knives and shurikens. In contrast to most later games in the genre, Ninja Princess has a feudal Japan setting with a female ninja protagonist.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Sega R&D1
- Publisher
- Sega
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Historical
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master System | 1986 | $11 | $30 | $124 | OVERALL 80% | Low (look-alike) |
Also released on: Arcade · Sega Master System/Mark III · SG-1000 · MSX. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $5 | $11 | — |
| Japanese release | $19 | $54 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $2.29 in Jul 2009, $14.94 five years ago, and $10.50 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $3.00 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $4.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $4.23 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.24 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $6.00 | $7.99 |
| Jan 2015 | $6.23 | $2.75 |
| Jan 2016 | $8.99 | $11.50 |
| Jan 2017 | $11.00 | $14.29 |
| Jan 2018 | $10.39 | $17.05 |
| Jan 2019 | $10.13 | $17.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $10.00 | $17.74 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.18 | $19.78 |
| Jan 2022 | $14.98 | $30 |
| Jan 2023 | $19.99 | $24 |
| Jan 2024 | $14.48 | $25 |
| Jan 2025 | $13.95 | $23 |
| Jan 2026 | $14.23 | $25 |
| Oct 2026 | $10.50 | $30 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | December 1986 | — | — |
| Europe / PAL | November 1987 | — | — |
| Japan | 8 November 1986 | G-1308 | 171-5363-01 · MPR-10409 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1986
- Authenticity
- Low
A straightforward ninja quest that a period magazine rated the best of three martial arts games Sega released together, and cheap in Europe.
This is The Ninja, the Master System release of Sega's ninja game. It reached Japan on November 8, 1986, North America in December 1986 and Europe in November 1987. Computer Entertainer described a young ninja named Kazamaru rescuing a princess held in Ohkami Castle through 13 progressively harder settings, armed first with ninja darts and then with scrolls that grant extra speed or pinwheel darts.
The Mark III version replaced the arcade original's female protagonist with a male ninja who has to rescue her. Computer Gaming World judged the Master System version the most entertaining of three martial arts games that Sega released together, and liked its unusual visual perspective.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 80% |
“Although the graphics are rather simplistic, the shuriken-lobbing action is challenging and addic¬ tive. The difficulty level is nicely pitched so you seem to get a little further into the game each time, and there are ten levels to beat. If you're after a combat game with a difference, this is worth taking a look at.”
In the sales charts
In 6 sales charts, April 1993 to August 1993; highest position #4.
Show all 6 placings
- #8 in the Virgin Master System chart — Sega Pro, Issue 18, April 1993
- #9 in the HMV Master System chart — Sega Pro, Issue 18, April 1993
- #4 in the HMV Master System chart — Sega Pro, Issue 20, June 1993
- #6 in the Virgin Master System chart — Sega Pro, Issue 21, July 1993
- #8 in the HMV Master System chart — Sega Pro, Issue 21, July 1993
- #8 in the Virgin Master System chart — Sega Pro, Issue 22, August 1993
Sales charts as printed in the magazines of the time.
How the Sega Master System version differs
Western releases of the Master System game rearrange the stages from the original Japanese release and add a scroll system: the player must collect five green scrolls to reach the final level.
The graphics differ from the arcade game and are drawn in a more realistic style.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · SG-1000 · MSX
- Arcade. In the arcade original you play a female ninja who fights with throwing knives and shurikens.
Before you buy
There is a US cart, a European cart and a Japanese cart. The European cart is much cheaper than the US one, loose and complete. The Japanese cart costs more than the US one and is a different, smaller shape that needs an adapter on a Western console. Loose, the price is below the middle of the US-released carts and the look-alike risk is low.
Sega Ninja screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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