DESCRIPTION

Shinobi is a 2D side-scrolling action game originally developed by Sega as an arcade release. Sega later licensed the game out to other developers for console conversions and produced their own conversion for the Sega Master System. Asmik acquired the rights for a PC Engine conversion, and released the game in 1989.

Players take the role of a ninja master out to rescue kidnapping victims from an evil organization. Each of the game's levels are composed of a series of stages, and players must fight their way through the first stages of each level by defeating enemies and freeing hostages. On the last stage, players encounter a boss character that must be defeated.

The ninja master has an unlimited supply of shuriken, or throwing stars, that he can use to dispatch enemies. In addition to the shuriken, the ninja master can use a special ninja attack once per stage. These are powerful, screen-filling attacks that do a great deal of damage. Certain enemies take more than one hit to be killed or have the ability to block the shuriken. Players can either find a way to kill them or just move on. Killing all the enemies on a stage is not a requirement; instead, players have to look for hostages who are bound and sitting on the ground. These victims are freed when touched, and when all the victims on a stage are freed, players can move on to the next stage. ~ Kyle Knight, All Game Guide