Retro Coin Op Synopsis

This was the kind of game you could play for its title alone. Caveman Ninja. Just thinking about it is enough to make you smile. Luckily for Data East, the game didn’t disappoint either.

Joe and Mac were the two prehistoric fighters mentioned in the title. After their “cave-babes” were kidnapped by rival gangs of Neanderthals, the cavemen ninja decided to strike back. Armed with a variety of Stone Age projectile weapons, the two fought their way through six levels of jungle adventures, facing threats from nasty cavemen, angry bees, giant plants and more dinosaurs than you can shake a petrified stick at.

Joe and Mac began the game armed with stone axes, but by cracking open eggs left by defeated pterodactyls along the way, the two could upgrade their arsenal. The caveman ninjas had mastered the art of combat with fireballs, wheels, boomerangs and even powerful doppelgangers of themselves. For a more powerful blow, you could hold down the attack button to make Joe and Mac swing their arms around wildly, building up energy (at least until they got tired).

Regardless of the threats against them, Joe and Mac never lost their sense of fun. This popular platform game was peppered with funny little touches—from the goofy cartoon graphics to the comic sound effects. The combination of traditional platform gaming and silly antics made Caveman Ninja a favorite of many, leading to a successful follow-up, Joe & Mac Return, in 1994.

Arcade Machine Release History

1991 - Caveman Ninja
1994 - Joe & Mac Return

Arcade Game Sub Categories

adventure
fighting
platform

Machine Manufacturer

Data East

Other Arcade Game Links