The Revenge of Shinobi

The Good
Gameplay can be quite hard on you, but thanks to a health bar instead of being killed in one hit, you have a fair number of chances to get past obstacles. As a bonus, you have unlimited time, a hidden deflecting ability, can do double jumps, there are collectible powerups and you're not stuck rescuing hostages. If you're really in a pickle, there's always the ninja powers for one use every stage and the special midair throwing technique. Each boss you face has a unique weakness to exploit, making you adapt to the current situation from the easy touch of the controller. It's amazing that Spider-Man makes an appearance, it's almost like playing a "Sega Vs. Marvel" crossover. And lastly the final boss is dependent on the player's actions for the good ending. Excellent gameplay.

Graphics are done well, making you feel like you're traversing in actual locations, with all that rich lighting and some animated foregrounds. The music has a nice variety of oriental Japan-themed tunes and techno beat tracks, the rhythm just seems to match your movements, you just can't stop playing.

The Bad
As fair as the game's difficulty is, there's no way to make it easier for the less than intrepid game player. For instance you have limited shurikens instead of infinite, forcing you to ration them and its irritating that touching an enemy hurts you. Both those problems weren't around in the earlier Shinobi titles. The hardest part of the game is the labyrinth level, in which you need to take very specific doors to find the exit (a map would have been a great help). Thankfully enemies do not respawn like they do in Ninja Gaiden. If only there was a some story text to accompany the game for a little bit of flavour. In the end, there's no that much to gripe about the game.

The Bottom Line
This game was significant improvement from Sega's earlier arcade Shinobi prequels. This is what a true sequel on a new console should be like, making the best use of its capabilities and delivering something entertaining to play. The best elements of Shinobi and Shadow Dancer made their way to this title, plus a whole lot of welcoming new ones. If you love platforming and ninja action, play this title and give it the respect it deserves.