Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
| Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi | |
|---|---|
Japanese cover art
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| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Tomohiro Kondo |
| Artist(s) | Hiroyuki Kawaguchi Rieko Kodama |
| Composer(s) | Keisuke Tsukahara |
| Series | Shinobi |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platform game, hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Aggregate score | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 80% (4 reviews) |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| CVG | 63% |
| EGM | 32 / 40 |
| GamePro | 4 / 5 |
| Nintendo Life |   |
| ACE | 778 / 1000 |
| Hobby Consolas | 90% |
| 90% | |
| 90% | |
| Sega Power | 90% |
| Video Games & Computer Entertainment | 33 / 40 |
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (シャドー・ダンサー ザ・シークレット・オブ・シノビ?), also known as Shinobi: The Shadow Dancer or simply Shadow Dancer in Western versions, is a side-scrolling action game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis in 1990. It was re-released via emulation services such as the Wii's Virtual Console and Microsoft Windows in 2010, and was also included in the North American version of Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.
It is the second game in the Shinobi series released for the Mega Drive, following The Revenge of Shinobi. However, it is not a continuation of the previous game, but rather a loose adaptation to the 1989 arcade game Shadow Dancer. Like in the original arcade game, the player controls a ninja followed by a canine companion. The Secret of Shinobi was well received by critics.
The play mechanics are roughly identical to the arcade version of Shadow Dancer, with the main difference is the addition of a meter for the dog that accompanies the protagonist. In order for the dog to attack an enemy, the player must hold down the attack button until the meter is filled. The dog will only attack when he is barking towards a nearby enemy. This allows the player to sic the dog on an enemy while standing and jumping, allowing for more versatility than in the arcade game (where the dog only attacked while the player was crouching). The objective of each stage is also slightly changed from retrieving time bombs to rescuing hostages, much like in the original Shinobi. The male hostages give out bonus points and the occasional extra life, while the female hostages will enhance the player's attacks until he reaches the next stage or loses a life.
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Wikipedia