It was shot in 1984, but was not edited or released until 2021, when its footage was discovered and restored by the film preservation and home video distributor Vinegar Syndrome.

The abandoned footage was eventually acquired by Vinegar Syndrome; without audio, storyboards, or scripts for the film, it was reconstructed by a new director, Kurtis M. Spieler, and dubbed dialogue was recorded by actors including Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Michael Berryman, Cynthia Rothrock, Linnea Quigley, Vince Murdocco, Matt Mitler, Leon Isaac Kennedy, and Ginger Lynn Allen.

[2][3][4] John Liu, a sound technician for a television news station in New York City, learns that his wife Nita is pregnant, only for her to be murdered by knife-wielding thug Freddy Cufflinks.

He then retrieves a purse and jewelry stolen from a tourist couple by pursuing and intercepting the thieves while on roller skates, an act which is caught on camera by news reporters on the scene.

While filming an interview with Mayor Lewis about the New York Ninja, a group of armed assailants under the orders of the Plutonium Killer—including Freddy Cufflinks—attempt to abduct Randi.

Some time later, Cufflinks and his partners Ricco and Switchblade successfully kidnap both Randi and Detective Janet Flores, one of Williams' colleagues.

Liu and Williams infiltrate a dungeon where the Plutonium Killer's kidnapped women, including Flores, are being held captive, and free them.

"[3] The film had an estimated special effects budget of $100, most of which Morano reportedly spent on creating the Plutonium Killer's melting face.

The footage shot for New York Ninja was stored in film reels, ran about six to eight hours in length and included no actor credits.

[3] Spieler suspects that Liu may have been unable to complete filming before the production shut down, saying that "the ending doesn't feel like it was ever finished".

[4]Spieler commissioned the Detroit band Voyag3r to create the score, and hired actors including Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Michael Berryman, Cynthia Rothrock, Linnea Quigley, Vince Murdocco, Matt Mitler, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Ginger Lynn to record new dialogue, which was dubbed over the footage.

[9] J. Hurtado of Screen Anarchy called the film "the kind of gem that demands viewing with a crowd", writing: "As downright goofy as New York Ninja is, it's the genuine heart of the original production that really makes the whole thing work.