Shinobi (Turbografx-16 / PC Engine review)

Developer: Asmik
Publisher: Asmik
Released: 1989

This version of Shinobi was released exclusively in Japan on the PC Engine and handled by Asmik instead of Sega.

It retains the one-hit kill nature of the arcade original instead of using a life bar like the Master System version. The high quality graphics might initially fool you into thinking this is an arcade-perfect port but unfortunately many things were left out in order for it to fit onto a single HuCard; in particular, the memorable Black Turtle stages are completely absent. There's also no Bonus Stage (as the console couldn't handle the scaling effect), no close combat attacks and hardly any speech. Certain enemies are missing too such as the Bazooka guys in the Mandara stages and the Monks in the second Masked Ninja stage. While it still plays and feels like Shinobi these omissions are really disappointing. The game is very challenging and I would even say that it's tougher than the arcade version. This is mainly due to the lack of a bullet power-up which originally allowed you to take down enemies with greater ease. At least you still have one item of magic that you can use per stage and you'll definitely need it when 5-6 enemies attack you from all sides. The stages that have been included here are well recreated and the level design is as good as ever. Each boss plays similar to the original except Mandara as you'll only see one row of statues instead of three, again possibly due to space or technical limitations. Once you've defeated the final Masked Ninja boss you'll see a message that I assume ties the whole story together. Unfortunately I couldn't actually read it as it's in a strange font and the text scrolls too quickly!

Shinobi is still a good game but it's clear that a lot of compromises had to be made for the PC Engine. This HuCard version might capture the spirit of the arcade original but there's too much missing to recommend it.

Random trivia: Joe Musashi is commonly known as the main character in the series yet he hasn't featured in a starring role since the Mega Drive version of Shadow Dancer (1991). Various characters have since assumed this role including Hibana, a female Shinobi, in the 2003 PlayStation 2 game Nightshade.

Shinobi (Master System review)

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1988

Shinobi was originally released in the Arcades in 1987 alongside other titles such as After Burner and Thunder Blade.

There are five missions that consist of four stages each and your objective is to free the kidnapped children. You have punch, kick and shuriken attacks but rescuing kids will occasionally reward you with a katana slash or gun; having the latter is a big help as it kills most enemies in one hit. One of the most enjoyable things about Shinobi is that it features multiple floors that you can switch between on the fly. This adds an element of strategy and forces you to methodically work your way through the level. There's a nice mix of horizontal and vertical platforming stages and lots of variety in the level design. While the first-person bonus stage doesn't look as impressive as it once did I still love the mock scaling effect as the ninjas get closer to the screen. Sega did make some minor changes for this home console port, the main one being that there are no longer any one-hit kills; instead, you now have a health gauge and it takes multiple hits to lose a life. This is a great idea as the game gets really tough towards the end. The music is unbelievable and Sega did a fantastic job porting the tracks over. While it's a shame they didn't include the speech samples from the arcade version it's understandable due to space limitations. I would have given Shinobi a 9/10 score were it not for the final boss battle against the Masked Ninja. He has several transformations but the charge attack is ridiculous as it's almost impossible to hit him without taking damage. After 70 minutes, about 150 lost lives and a complete stroke of luck I was finally able to win by accidentally cornering him.

It's such a shame that the last mission leaves a sour taste as the rest of Shinobi is beautifully crafted and an incredibly enjoyable experience. Sega did a masterful job porting the title from the Arcades to the less powerful Master System and it's seriously impressive how little they left out.

Random trivia: Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (1990, Master System) is an excellent parody of the original Shinobi game with many of the same bosses and music tracks!