Seminal computer beat-em-up The Last Ninja Collection heads to Kickstarter, includes International Karate+ and six other classics

Classic 8-bit fighting games The Last Ninja, and before that International Karate (and IK+), were loaded from many a cassette in the 80s and early nineties on Commodore 64s, ZX Spectrums, and Amstrad CPCs around the globe as home computers began to make their mark on family life.

Now, in a tribute to those times, System 3 – the publisher of these classic titles back in the day – has announced that seven games will form The Last Ninja Collection and will be available on PC and Switch, via a Kickstarter campaign that is due to launch shortly.

The seven titles are The Last Ninja, Last Ninja 2, Last Ninja 3, Ninja Remix, International Karate, IK+, and Bangkok Knights, with International Karate and IK+ being notable as being created by the late Archer Maclean.

“I’m really excited to bring The Last Ninja Collection to Kickstarter said Mark Cale, CEO of System 3. “Before Souls-like was a genre, The Last Ninja defined it, and to bring these titles and more, including the International Karate series to Nintendo Switch and PC is a real salute to Archer Maclean and his legacy. Video games must be preserved at all costs, and I’m thrilled we’re able to lead the way in securing a physical legacy for years to come.”

System 3 was formed in the UK by Cale in 1982 who worked alongside his brother Adrian for many years publishing and developing a myriad of games across multiple formats going on to become one of the major software houses of its time. It still publishes titles to this day and will also shortly publish the 40th Anniversary Edition of Archer Maclean’s Dropzone

The Kickstarter for The Last Ninja Collection will launch in September 2024, with The Last Ninja Collection available on PC and Nintendo Switch in early 2025.

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