Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (Genesis Ver.): Round 1: Burning Downtown
10This Shinobi game was made between The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III, but it really takes after the very first Shinobi game, and as such feels like the closest true first sequel to the series.
The Arcade version of this game is simply called Shadow Dancer. Japanese sources claim that the ninja you use in this game is Hayate, the son of the famous Joe Musashi. However, other sources say that it is instead Joe, himself, coming out of retirement. Make of that whatever you will.
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This game is pretty short, but sweet. You go through 5 Rounds, each of them containing 3 sections. The first two of each has you rescue hostages while beating bad guys before you can move on, while the third sections of each has you fight a boss to complete the entire Round.
The significant thing that makes this Shinobi game stand out from all others? You have a dog named Yamato to assist you. You can charge a meter, and unleash it to unleash Yamato on an enemy. He can't kill them, but he can hold him down while you go for the finishing blow.
Be careful, though, because if Yamato tries this and he ends up getting hit, instead, or if you take too long to hit the enemy he's pinned, he'll yelp and shrink down to a harmless puppy. He can grow back to full size if you either wait a few seconds or after saving a hostage. Getting a hostage could also give you points, a 1-UP, or power up your shruikens.
You can use Ninjutsu in this game, but you can only choose from the one the game provides you with per section. So sometimes, you can only release a firestorm, and other times, you can summon typhoons.
If you're more used to the other Genesis Shinobi games than this one, you have to be careful. Touching some things and characters will only push you back, but if you get hit by something that was meant to hurt you, YOU WILL DIE IN ONE HIT, just like the very first Shinobi.
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Round 1 takes place in downtown New York City, as it has been overtaken by the ninja crime organization known as the Union Lizard.
The boss of Round 1 is a giant armored samurai warrior called The Stomper. He can create earthquakes and shoot fireballs.
You must aim at his head to defeat him, though you can also use a Ninjutsu to take down at most two of his HP at a time.
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After you complete each Round, you go through a Bonus Round, where you fall from a tall building while shooting enemy ninjas on the way down. If you can get them all, you'll get a 3-UP, but there are other ways to get extra lives this way, even if you don't get as much.