Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Moby ID: 10854
Genesis Specs
Buy on Genesis
$128.97 used on eBay
Buy on Windows
$0.99 new on Steam
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Description

A.D. 1997, New York City

Having vanquished the evil crime empire, Neo Zeed, the ninja master Shinobi and his combat ninja skills were not heard from for some time. But a new threat arose, in a reptilian form that lived on vicious instinct alone. The colossal monster moved slowly and quietly, and its attack was relentless. The souls unfortunate enough to survive became hostages, and mass panic swept the streets.

It remained only for Shinobi to take action. His weapons were stealth and quickness of attack, his only allies facing overwhelming forces. Relying on Ninja weapons and magic, Shinobi fought on, assisted by his faithful dog.

Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi is similar to Shadow Dancer for home computers, and consists of five missions containing three stages each. However, there are a few differences between the two. For example, in this Sega Genesis/Mega Drive exclusive, the stages are different, and you rescue hostages rather than disarm bombs. Each mission ends up with you fighting a boss, and when you defeat each (except the final one), you also participate in a bonus stage where you must shoot all ninja flying towards you.

Some of the enemies are also quite different. Some of the lizards, which appear in later missions, leave a "lizard coin", which you can collect for bonus lives.

Spellings

  • シャドー・ダンサー ザ・シークレット・オブ・シノビ - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Genesis version)

16 People (13 developers, 3 thanks)

Program
Character Design
Graphic Design
Assistant Graphic Design
Game Design
Music Composer
Supervisor
  • Kankan
  • Tantan (as Tantan)
  • Hayhay
Test Player
Thanks to
  • Arcade 'Shadow Dancer' Staff
  • Arcade 'Shinobi' Staff
and ... Special Thanks to
  • All Players

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 82% (based on 26 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 40 ratings with 6 reviews)

My Shinobi Sense Is Tingling

The Good
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi is a solid, platforming sequel to the original Shinobi title. Our heroic ninja warrior must (once again) rescue hostages, beat up bad guys, bosses and the head of a strange reptilian-theme criminal syndicate.

Ok, it is not the most creative of story lines (and the American version differs from the Japanese one) but its still fun to play if you are in the mood for ninja platforming. The sequel has better graphics, animation, music and sound effects and a few other...interesting additions.

Along with the familiar set of ninja weapons and power-ups standard for the series, you got a loyal (and helpful) canine guard dog.

The Bad
Changes were made to the storyline in translating the game into English. Originally, you were the son of the hero from the previous game, where as the English version depicts him as being the former hero coming out of retirement. I think the original version is better.

The Bottom Line
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi is a solid, platforming sequel to the original Shinobi title.

Genesis · by ETJB (428) · 2013

The Secret Of Shinobi=Calgon

The Good
“The Revenge Of Shinobi“, was one of the first games released for the Sega Genesis. It really helped showcase the power of the Genesis. Especially when compared to that of the aging NES. “Shadow Dancer: The Secret Of Shinobi“, the sequel is technically NOT a sequel. It is based on the arcade game Shadow Dancer, which was not a Shinobi game. And the port to the Genesis is yet a different game. That mixes the arcade games Shinobi and Shadow Dancer. Furthermore the American version of Shadow Dancer was changed to coincide with the first game, including changing the title character to Joe Musashi. Despite the brand confusion Shadow Dancer is still an excellent action game.

After the defeat of Neo Zeed in “The Revenge Of Shinobi” Musashi left for New York City, when his friend Kato is slain by mysterious ninja belonging to the Union Lizard, he once more sets off to stop the threat and avenge his fallen friend. Aided by Kato’s dog Yamato, and his ninja magic.

Shadow Dancer plays more like the Shinobi arcade game. For instance one hit kills you. Regardless of where he is hit so head shot or ankle shot will both deliver death. There is also a bonus game in which you must defeat as many foes as possible in the time limit. In the stage Shinobi free falls while tossing shurikens, it is quite fun and a nice diversion, playing well rewards you with extra lives. Your main weapon is the shuriken, you have an unlimited number these at your disposal, or can opt to play without them, this of course makes the game much more difficult. The standard katana is also at your disposal, this will mainly be used for up close fighting. You can also use various ninja magic. Use it well as there is only one per stage. So they are best saved for boss fights. You can make use a Yamato. He can attack enemies leaving them exposed for you to finish them. He can be hurt however so look out for him.

The games stages will take some strategy to tackle. This is no easy game. And getting down the flow of the game may take some practice. Nowhere is this more evident than during the boss fights. Each boss has a different pattern and will take you skill and time to overcome.

The graphics are very good. Even surpassing that of “The Revenge Of Shinobi”. The stages all look great, particularly the bridge level. The sprites are big and detailed on the screen. And the ninja spells look amazing.

The music while not as good as Yuzo Koshiro’s score for “The Revenge Of Shinobi”. Is still very good and gets the job done. The sound effects are done well also. From Yamato’s barks and yelps, to Shinobi’s spell casting.

The Bad
The game can be unfairly tough at times. For the most part it’s not, but there are a few spots that are trouble.

I am not overly fond of the one hit kill system. But then again you could get killed very easily in the first Shinobi as well.

If you are not looking for a challenging game, then you need not apply.



The Bottom Line
Overall, fans of Shinobi will enjoy this as will fans of the arcade game Shadow Dancer, it’s not 100% accurate to the arcade, but what is? Action game fans will also find a lot to like in Shadow Dancer.

Genesis · by MasterMegid (723) · 2007

Shinobi comes out of retirement & is a brittle old man.

The Good
This is a good Shinobi game, much better than the arcade rendition of a similar name (which is a different game all together). The bosses & bonus stages are fun & challenging. The dog never got in my way or troubled me. The stages look great. The bridge stage is a lot of fun. The statue of liberty looks great. At one point you have to fight 3 ninjas & a helicopter at the same time!! That is awesome & obviously deadly.

The Bad
This game is incredibly hard. I'm talking 1 hit death & lose all your lives in the first 2 minutes hard. I only absolutely needed to use the dog twice in the whole game. In the arcade game you need him a lot. He's still useful here but not necessary. The spin-wheel boss (#4) is very confusing as to how to attack it. There is a stage where shadows block your view & ninja's attack you in the dark. This is really cheap & incredibly hard.

The Bottom Line
Better than the arcade game & even harder. Stage, boss, & graphic variety keep you glued. You may have to unleash all of your cheating powers to beat this one.

Genesis · by Emperor MAR (2598) · 2013

[ View all 6 player reviews ]

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  • MobyGames ID: 10854
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Katakis | カタキス.

Wii added by Charly2.0. Windows, Linux, Macintosh added by Foxhack.

Additional contributors: j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】.

Game added November 2, 2003. Last modified February 4, 2024.