#Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

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New video! We take a look at the seminal SEGA ninja game Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master and discuss what makes it so great!

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Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Genesis)

Session: https://youtu.be/bOoTohc1X5E

[thekingdomofdong]

We did it reddit

[doamarierose-honoka]

SUMMARY

▪️Sega Genesis delivered vibrant graphics and memorable games, including the action-packed Revenge of Shinobi in 1989.

▪️Featuring ninjas, cyborgs, and demons, Shinobi showcased the Genesis power with challenging gameplay and iconic characters.

▪️ Unauthorized appearances of Spider-Man, Batman, Rambo, Terminator, and Godzilla added unexpected fun to Shinobi , with revisions later made.

When it came to bringing hard-hitting arcade action to players' homes in the 80s, few consoles delivered the way the Sega Genesis did. With 16 bits of power displaying vibrant graphics, bass-boosted music courtesy of the Yamaha YM2612 sound chip, and an impressive library of games, the Genesis was a gaming force to be reckoned with. Not only did the Genesis deliver tons of licensed games straight into players' hands, but it also brought many of Sega’s own arcade hits home, too. From Golden Axe to Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog to Altered Beast, the Sega Genesis was simply stacked with blockbuster hits.

Chief among these series was Shinobi, a series of action platformers that helped define the Genesis as an action game powerhouse. Ninjas, cyborgs, demons, and more exploded off screens, demanding zenlike skills to master and survive. So, when players got hold of 1989’s The Revenge of Shinobi, a direct sequel to the original 1987 arcade title, it seemed like a dream come true when they discovered that Marvel’s Spider-Man and DC’s Batman were included in the game, as well. The problem with that, however, was that they (among other licensed characters) weren’t supposed to be in the game at all and were, in fact, very much unauthorized in their appearances.

Sega's Shinobi Is Classic Arcade Ninja Action From Beginning To End

Every Game in the Shinobi Series:

Title: Shinobi

Platform: Arcade

Year Release: 1983

Title: The Revenge of Shinobi

Platform: Genesis

Year Release: 1989

Title: Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Platform: Arcade/Genesis

Year Release: 1989

Title: The Cyber Shinobi

Platform: Master System

Year Release: 1990

Title: The G. G. Shinobi

Platform: Game Gear

Year Release: 1991

Title: The G. G. Shinobi II: The Silent Fury

Platform: Game Gear

Year Release: 1992

Title: Shinobi III: Return of the Master Ninja

Platform: Genesis

Year Release: 1993

Title: Shinobi Legions

Platform: Sega Saturn

Year Release: 1995

Title: Shinobi

Platform: PS2

Year Release: 2002

Title: Nightshade

Platform: PS2

Year Release: 2003

Title: Shinobi 3D

Platform: 3DS

Year Release: 2011

Sega’s Shinobi is one of the company’s longest-running and most beloved series of all time. Debuting in 1987, the very first Shinobi game was an arcade-only adventure that put players in the shoes of Joe Musashi, a ninja dedicated to defeating the evil Zeed organization. Blending precision platforming with plenty of action, Shinobi was a tremendously challenging but incredibly popular hit. Two years later, Shinobi received two different sequels, 1989’s Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi and The Revenge of Shinobi. While Shadow Dancer starred an enigmatic unnamed ninja and his faithful canine companion, The Revenge of Shinobi served as a direct sequel to the original arcade game.

Joe Mushashi took up his blade once again to battle the evil Zeed organization, now known as Neo Zeed. To make matters worse, Neo Zeed kidnapped Joe’s bride, Naoko. Fueled by the lethal combination of duty and vengeance, Joe embarked on a truly harrowing quest to save the world and his bride. The Revenge of Shinobi is often considered to be one of the best action titles on the Genesis and for good reason.

Armed with kunai and devastatingly powerful Ninjutsu spells, Joe battled his way through multiple cities across the world, military bases, and Neo Zeed’s mazelike base. With stellar graphics and gameplay, plus an unforgettable soundtrack thanks to the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, The Revenge of Shinobi still stands as a Genesis classic. With such a stacked legacy to its name and an immense pedigree behind it, it only becomes even stranger to see the likes of Spider-Man and Batman randomly appear in the game.

Marvel's Spider-Man And DC's Batman Make Prominent, But Completely Unofficial Appearances

Despite being two of the most famous superheroes of all time, Spider-Man and Batman do not occur as heroes in The Revenge of Shinobi. Instead, the two heroes are actually enemies that Joe Musashi must battle. Specifically, Spider-Man and Batman can be found as the bosses for the sixth level, Chinatown. The battle begins with Spider-Man crawling across the ceiling, shooting webs at Joe. When enough damage is dealt to Spider-Man, he transforms into Batman, who proceeds to fly around and swoop at Joe.

On one hand, it’s an incredibly cool moment to randomly discover the two superheroes in the very last place anyone would expect to see them. On the other hand, it’s a moment that raises the massive question of why the two heroes made their random appearance in a Shinobi game of all places. The answer, very simply, was a lack of communication.

The director of The Revenge of Shinobi, Noriyoshi Ohba, designed the Genesis game to be the ultimate showcase of the console’s hardware capabilities. During development, he sketched a number of enemies he wanted to incorporate into the game. When he handed them to the game’s character designer, Ohba thought his sketches would be modified enough that his obvious depictions of Spider-Man and Batman would be altered. Unfortunately, they weren’t, and the two famous superheroes found themselves thrust into the world of Shinobi. The inclusion of these characters wasn’t intended to be a brazen act of copyright infringement or laziness, but simply due to a little miscommunication between developers. Ultimately, their presence made an already fantastic game even more memorable.

As If Spider-Man And Batman Weren't Enough, Rambo, The Terminator, And Even Godzilla Make Cameo's As Well

Now, as if seeing Spider-Man and Batman in the game wasn’t cool enough, fans were treated to three more completely random licensed characters in The Revenge of Shinobi. The first of these surprise characters can be found in the third level, The Military Base. As Joe battles his way through waves of fierce armed resistance, he encounters an enemy that looks remarkably similar to a popular 80s action hero. With dark military pants, a black tank top, and an iconic red bandanna, Joe found himself face-to-face with Sylvester Stallone’s classic character, John Rambo.

The next character players must battle against is the boss of the fourth level, Detroit. A sinister humanoid robot attacks Joe, a robot that looks incredibly similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger's terrifying future assassin, the Terminator. As 1984's The Terminator and 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part 2 were cultural phenomenons upon their release, it's easy to see why Ohba would quickly sketch characters that so closely resembled the action stars. But it's the final cameo that is the most obvious and one that is impossible to miss. The seventh and penultimate level in the game, New York, places Joe atop multiple boats.

After battling his way into the Neo Zeed container ship, Joe comes face to face with none other than the mighty kaiju himself, Godzilla. There is absolutely no way any player can miss the reference as to who and what Godzilla is in the game. As the end-stage boss, Godzilla attacks with his iconic breath (though it's flames and not his usual radioactive breath). Why and how Neo Zeed managed to capture and sneak Godzilla onto a container ship will always remain a mystery, but it definitely serves as one of the most memorable moments in the entire game.

The Revenge Of Shinobi's Licensed Cameos Could Never Happen Today But Are Still Really Cool And Memorable Accidents

As none of the special cameo characters were ever meant to actually be in The Revenge of Shinobi, four more versions of the game were released to rectify the accidental inclusions. In 1989, Software Revision 1.00 was released that altered enemy colors and specifically explained that Spider-Man and Batman were actually an enemy known as “Metamorpher.” Software Revision 1.01, also in 1989, officially includes Spider-Man in the game, though Batman becomes a generic winged demon monster with Rambo losing his hair, as well. 1990’s Software Revision 1.02 added a new copyright screen to include the license for Spider-Man. 1990’s Software Revision 1.03 changes Godzilla into a giant skeletal robot dinosaur.

2009 and 2012’s Software Revision 1.04 removed the license for Spider-Man and instead dressed him in a pink palette swap. This final revision also alters Joe’s face on the title screen to no longer resemble the actor Sonny Chiba from his role in the TV show Shadow Warriors. Nowadays, it would be impossible for such accidental character inclusions to ever happen in a video game. The legal fallout alone is a deterrent of the highest order to ensure that these kinds of mistakes don’t happen. And if they do happen, a single patch is all that’s needed to rectify the issue instantly and permanently.

Even though multiple reworked versions of the game were subsequently released, there are still physical copies of The Revenge of Shinobi that have the original unaltered characters. The Shinobi series is still alive today with a brand-new entry announced by Sega in the works. Fans shouldn’t hold their breath at the possibility of seeing Joe Musashi fight Godzilla or Batman again, but it’s amazing that one of Sega’s OG arcade franchises is still going strong. For Sega fans who have never played Shinobi before, tracking down a copy of Revenge of Shinobi is a must (even if Spider-Man and Batman might not be in it.)

[ercdouken]

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Genesis) - Full Playthrough (No Deaths)

[bangjiazheng]

Mega Drive Longplay [189] Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

[lewisibarra1512]

31 Days of Mega Drive Hits - A 35th Anniversary of the Console

Update 1 Sept 2024 12:00 PM PST - The event has concluded. Thanks for partaking!

To celebrate the 35th anniversary on the exact month the Mega Drive got launched in North America, I've compiled a set of games that were released for the console. This should help me get through 31 days while patiently waiting for Universal Parks to complete building Epic Universe in time right before I reach my money saving challenge goal.

Here's the list of games circa 1989 - 1998:

• Altered Beast (1 August) • Golden Axe (2 August) • Columns (3 August) • Ecco the Dolphin (4 August) • Sonic the Hedgehog (5 August) • ToeJam and Earl (6 August) • Thunder Force IV (7 August) • Kid Chameleon (8 August) • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (9 August) • Road Rash II (10 August) • Streets of Rage 2 (11 August) • Ranger X (12 August) • Jungle Strike (13 August) • Rocket Knight Adventures (14 August) • Jurassic Park (15 August) • Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (16 August) • Gunstar Heroes (17 August) • Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole (18 August)* • Eternal Champions (19 August) • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles (20 August) • Mickey Mania (21 August) • Earthworm Jim (22 August) • Shining Force II (23 August)* • Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (24 August) • Ristar (25 August) • Crusader of Centy (26 August) • Mega Bomberman (27 August) • Vectorman (28 August) • Comix Zone (29 August) • Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (30 August) • Frogger (31 August)

Once each day is cleared, I will cross off the game I finished checking out as longplays alone. Won't be long for me to pass the time!

Please note this list does not include the majority of Mortal Kombat, as the rights have been shifted to Warner Bros. Discovery Games. It also does not contain Dr. Robotnik and his Mean Bean Machine nor Sonic Spinball, so I apologize in advance if it does not meet up the standards. In addition, no Nowhere-in-Particular exclusive games are present. Just wanted to set the record straight.

*I also want to verify I'm only going to check out the endings of both Landstalker and Shining Force II since both are extremely huge to go through the entire progress.

That's all for now. Happy 35th anniversary! :)

[zloyguru]

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | Синоби III: Возвращение мастер...

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Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master 1993 - Sega Genesis Classic !

[gmlocg]

583.) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Release: July 23rd, 1993 | GGF: Action, Platformer | Developer(s): Megasoft | Publisher(s): SEGA Enterprises Ltd., Tec Toy Indústria de Brinquedos S.A., Nintendo Co., Ltd. | Platform(s): Arcade (1993), Genesis (1993), Wii (2007), Windows (2010), iPhone (2011), Nintendo 3DS (2013), Linux (2018), Macintosh (2018), Nintendo Switch (2021)

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Now streaming Viewer Requests: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master & More on Twitch!

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Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Genesis)

Session: https://youtu.be/bOoTohc1X5E

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Cinematech Presents RCT - SEGA Genesis

Now things are pretty much okay.

[operationrainfall]

Sega unveiled 10 more titles for its long-awaited Genesis Mini.

Joining the lineup are Sonic’s two-tailed best bud Tails in Sonic the Hedgehog 2; the groovy space-faring, quick-shooting Earthworm Jim starring in his own series; and Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in the Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion, just to name a few.

So far, Sega has revealed  20 titles for the Genesis Mini, with 20 more yet to be unveiled. The system is slated to be released on Sept. 19, 2019.

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Released titles so far include:

Sonic the Hedgehog

Ecco the Dolphin

Castlevania: Bloodlines

Space Harrier 2

Shining Force

Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

ToeJam & Earl

Comix Zone

Altered Beast

Gunstar Heroes

Earthworm Jim

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

Contra: Hard Corps

Thunder Force III

Super Fantasy Zone

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Streets of Rage 2

Landstalker

As previously reported, the mini system has four quick save slots, HDMI output, and language options. It will include a total of 40 games, and all necessary cables to use it. In addition, it was revealed that the system’s software was developed by M2, and the menu music was the work of Sega composer Yuzo Koshiro.

In North America, the Sega Genesis Mini emulator console will be sold for a price of $79.99, while in Europe the Mega Drive will set you back €69.99 (or €79.99 if you also want two USB controllers). In both of these regions, the system comes with the original 3-button controllers. In Japan, the emulator console will be sold for a price of 6,980 yen (or 8,980 yen if you also want two USB controllers).

    Tails, Earthworm Jim, Mickey Mouse, More Revealed for Genesis Mini Sega unveiled 10 more titles for its long-awaited Genesis Mini. Joining the lineup are Sonic's two-tailed best bud Tails in…