Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (1990)

So, as I mentioned earlier in the last post this buddy was my first Mega Drive game. My Mega Drive was imported from Japan and it came with Shadow Dancer and boy what a game to start with.

I must say that when my brothers got the Mega Drive, I didn't know the machine, I was too young to understand these things and you have to remember, we didn't have Internet back in the early 90's, well I didn't even have a computer. So my experience with video-games came from playing NES at my neighbors' house. But when I got my eyes on the brand new Mega Drive, oh boy, my eyes shined. Somehow I knew right away I was about to board on a trip that would last forever, and sure it did.

And what a start! The first game I played on my Mega Drive was Shinobi, the Shadow Dancer. And it was (and still is) fantastic. I used to play NES games and its graphics were very simplistic in a way, but when I saw Shadow Dancer with huge sprites, beautiful graphics, marvelous gameplay, I got instantly hooked. And speaking the truth, after more than 20 years, I 'm still hooked to this game.

From a kid used to play Super Mario Bros, to see this was something out of this world.

Yesterday I decided to start playing it AGAIN then I could revive my memories and write about this gem. And man, it passed the test of time. The gameplay is so fluid that it invites you to keep playing more and more. As you can see in the picture above, you have an important companion on your fight against the evil ninja cult Union Lizard, it's a dog named Yamato. The gameplay mechanic of the dog is unique, you can command the dog to attack some enemies and paralyze them for some time...time enough for you to kill them. It's a simple but very useful and original gameplay mechanic.

The dog gameplay mechanic.

Still talking about the mechanic, our hero can throw shuriken at the enemies or when in melee combat he can use his katana and kicks. Some enemies can't be just killed with shurikens because they can block, then you need to kill them using your melee skills.

The history is around this evil ninja cult called Union Lizard that is creating chaos in New Your, 1997. You have to battle your way through five stages until you can face the final boss, a giant reptilian demon.

The final boss, after 5 stages you earn the right to face the head of the cult.

Among the normal stages, you have bonus stages where you can get three extra lives if you shoot all the ninjas while you fall down from a building. Yes, you're in free fall killing ninjas that come through your way. You are THAT good.

The bonus stage.

You can choose three levels of difficulty, and after you beat the game, there's a nice touch for each level. In the final scene of the ending, there's a picture of you and your faithful dog while behind you is New York, but depending on the level you've played, the day changes. It's a simple, but cool final touch that I always appreciated.

Well, overall, this a game that brings me fond memories. It reminds me of a part of my life where things were more simple than they are today. I know it sounds cheesy and it truly is, but it couldn't be much more from the heart.

Cheers.