The game plays similarly to other strategy games such as SystemSoft's Daisenryaku games and Sega's own Shining games. You are in control of a team of ninjas fighting another team. selects a ninja/confirms an action. cancels an action, or if no action is in progress, selects the next ninja. opens the battle menu, which allows you to end your turn. Battles are fully automatic. Unique to Ninja Burai Densetsu are side-scrolling special stages: should you move a ninja onto a special space, they will go into a town where they can get various helpful items from townsfolk.