 The game was featured in Electronic Gaming Monthly 's July 1991 issue as an " EGM Exclusive " . They praised the game , saying " Ninja Gaiden gets better every time ! " It was also one of the featured games in the August 1991 issue of Nintendo Power , where it received 11 pages of coverage , which included a full walkthrough of the first four Acts plus a brief plot overview of the entire game . It was in this issue where Ninja Gaiden III was purported to be the final Ninja Gaiden game by Tecmo . As in their preview , they gave praise to the action , gameplay , elaborate plot , and difficulty . GamePro reviewed the game in its September 1991 issue . The magazine gave the game top ratings in all categories except sound . They noted the difficulty level as being dictated by the enemies ' strategic placements in the various environments ; they added that while Act 1 is easy , the remainder of the game is very difficult . The review praised the usage and usefulness of the secondary weapons , Ryu 's new ability to hang overhead , and the new addition of the sword power @-@ up , which it said bore resemblance to the game Strider . They slightly criticized the game for leaving out the " cloning " power @-@ up from Ninja Gaiden II : The Dark Sword of Chaos as well as the limited continues and lack of passwords . In March 1992 , Ninja Gaiden III received three nominations in the " Nintendo Power Awards ' 91 " in the following NES @-@ related categories : " Best Graphics and Sound " , " Best Challenge " , and " Best Overall " . It won in the " Best Challenge " category ; the magazine commented that " the game @-@ playing public knows a challenging game when they see one ! " It placed second in the " Best Graphics and Sound " category , finishing behind Battletoads for the top spot . It was the ranked as the third " Best Overall " NES title for 1991 , finishing close behind Tecmo Super Bowl . 
