Ninja Clowns
Ninja Clowns is a side-scrolling arcade beat 'em up from 1991, developed by Incredible Technologies and published by Strata. It follows the structure of games like Final Fight and Double Dragon, but the heroes are circus clowns. They fight their way through streets full of odd opponents, from other circus performers and mimes to lawyers, maintenance workers and zombies. Alongside punches and kicks, the clowns use their own props, including spring-loaded boxing gloves, soda water bottles and cream pies.
Controls
What Ninja Clowns is
Incredible Technologies, a Chicago-area developer best known for Golden Tee, built Ninja Clowns, and Strata Group released it in 1991. It is one of the stranger brawlers of the early 1990s, taking the familiar walk-right-and-fight format and filling it with slapstick.
Up to two players can play at once, each on an eight-way joystick with three buttons. The game never became widely known, which makes it an interesting find for anyone who has already worked through the better-known beat 'em ups of the period. Much of its appeal is seeing which oddball opponent turns up next, and how the clowns deal with them using circus props instead of swords or guns.
How it plays in your browser
The game here is the original arcade release running through an emulator, so it plays as it did in 1991 without any download.
It works with a keyboard, though a gamepad feels closer to the arcade stick. A second player can join for co-op if your controls are set up for two.
Tips worth knowing
- Use the clown gag weapons when groups of enemies close in, since they are more useful than trading single punches.
- Keep moving up and down the screen so enemies cannot line up on both sides of you.
- Fight enemies one group at a time instead of walking forward into a new wave before the last one is cleared.
- If you are playing with a friend, split up to handle enemies from different directions rather than both attacking the same target.
- Learn the reach of each attack. Standard kicks and punches are quick, while the prop attacks are better for crowd control.
Frequently asked questions
Who made Ninja Clowns?
Incredible Technologies developed Ninja Clowns, and Strata Group published it in arcades in 1991.
What kind of game is Ninja Clowns?
It is a side-scrolling beat 'em up in the style of Final Fight, played for comedy with circus clowns as the heroes.
Can two people play Ninja Clowns?
Yes, the arcade game supports two players at the same time.
What weapons do the clowns use?
As well as punches and kicks, the clowns fight with gag props such as spring-loaded boxing gloves, soda water bottles and cream pies.
More games like this
Bubble Bobble, Gang Busters, GunNail. You can also browse the full games library or read the guides on the blog.