16-Bit Shinobi Showdown! Sega Genesis Ninja Action!

[@JoeyJ0J0]

Revenge of Shinobi has one of my favorite soundtracks ever, Yuzo Koshiro was a genius with the Genesis soundboard

[@truindividual]

FACTS

[@rtoffelix]

All except that labyrinth stage. That was pretty ear grating.

[@HexenStar]

Shinobi 3 is superior in every regard. Mechanics, design and everything else. The "Whirlwind" track alone beats the entire Koshiro's soundtrack.

[@astrocapsule]

Shinobi III is easily one of the best referents of the Genesis MegaDrive (easy in a Top 5). No matter how much I love Yuzo Koshiro, SIII has tracks that even to this day I still have in my mind always.

[@truindividual]

Whirlwind and Idaten FTW

[@ElVlogdeBob]

Unpopular opinion: I prefer the Shinobi games over the Ninja Gaiden series. I just think they are much more well designes and much more fun.

[@bassage13]

Same!

[@marcomarazita2376]

I agree, I believe in Shinobi level design is better and more inspired, plus each conversion on different platforms it is a small masterpiece, I loved GG Shinobi or Shinobi X on Saturn!

[@bassage13]

@@eskanda3434 Well, unless you include the Ninja Gaiden on XBOX. I loved that one.

[@mottzilla4858]

@@eskanda3434 Also I'd say all three original Ninja Gaiden games are almost the same game. At least they are compared to the Genesis Shinobi titles which changed up the gameplay far more. Ninja Gaiden's gameplay was very much the same from the beginning to the end of the series. The first two games even more so. The third did change the jumping/falling physics a bit and added some vertical areas but it's all fairly minor differences between the three games. Nothing stops you from appreciating both series.

[@bloodykenshiro8218]

I think you're quite right, actually. The only Ninja Gaiden game I really enjoy is the SMS one, because it is more balanced overall than the NES titles, though it suffers still from the cheaptness in difficulty that tends to permeate that franchise.

[@abcmaya]

revenge of shinobi still look mighty impressive visually even to this day

[@rtoffelix]

The title screen will always be epic!

[@DrWho2008t101]

yes

[@Telepathy-cn2bj]

Revenge of Shinobi. My nostalgia is real with this one! Got it with my Megadrive on release

[@ryandonaghey7189]

me too i got it with mega games 2 a 3 in 1 game with this ,streets of rage and golden axe

[@SegaGenesisEvangelion]

I think Shinobi III has the best graphics and controls, but Revenge of Shinobi has the best music and level design. The whole series is incredible. The original arcade game is like my favorite-sounding game ever, the sound effects are so satisfying, playing it practically gives me ASMR haha

[@SegaGenesisEvangelion]

if anything I'll give the nod to Revenge of Shinobi because I think Shinobi III is a little too easy, Revenge took me longer to master.

[@EhrisaiaOShannon]

Shinobi 3!!! Oh God! The memories. Best Sega Shinobi of all time. 💜

[@christophersavart5589]

Shinobi 3 is the best in the series.

[@EhrisaiaOShannon]

@@christophersavart5589 No doubt! Lol. 💜

[@mrlaidback83]

Absolutely!!

[@MuJoNeSs]

Pinnacle of the series!

[@TexasHollowEarth]

The 3D port for the 3DS is really nice. Too bad they didn't give more Shinobi games the 3D treatment. The 3D ports of arcade Galaxy Force II & Afterburner (on 3DS) are seriously impressive.

[@bassage13]

Revenge of Shinobi is one the best games ever created. The music is legendary!! I'm sure I spent more time on this one as a kid than any other Genesis game, or maybe tied with Phantasy star II.

[@Fredo63200]

Shinobi 3 has so many offensive, defensive and moving techniques, they could have made a Metroidvania out if it. My favourite game of the whole series, by far.

[@kubev]

I still prefer The GG Shinobi II: The Silent Fury on Game Gear, and it's kind of a shame that Sega didn't adopt that format for any of the Genesis Shinobi games, as I totally agree that the console installments could've and should've had Metroidvania elements.

[@ramos4503]

Easily the best!

[@crazyking1896]

Joe Musashi should be a fighting game character

[@Fredo63200]

@@crazyking1896 For what game ? Smash bros ? pft.

[@crazyking1896]

@@Fredo63200 Probably, but like a 2d tournament fighter type. You know like Street Fighter and Fatel Fury.

[@shinkazama3959]

Shinobi 3 & Shadow Dancer for life, those games still hold up AWESOMELY today! :)

[@alx42013]

Revenge of Shinobi For The WIN.

[@duckhive]

I have to agree. SIII might be the "best, technically" on balance, but I prefer the OST and tactical gameplay of Revenge.

[@n0isyturtle]

Shinobi 3 is one of my fav platformers on Genesis, and the music is so so good

[@DeludedOne]

Owned all 3, played all 3, loved all 3. Help me Obi Wan Shinobi, you're my only hope. All things stated, Shadow Dancer had a very different feel from the other 2 games. The one hit deaths made the game by far the most challenging of the 3, and the final few levels can be frustrating as hell. Loved the soundtrack on the 2 shinobi games though, really memorable entries, however the themes that stand out for me on each game are Chinatown on the first game and Whirlwind on the second. Chinatown wad excellent and really performed to its name. It was also the only track that never reused barring the final level, final boss and ending tracks (oh and Dark City as well). Whirlwind is a gorgeous beauty of a track and gives every bit of the atmosphere of jetting across the waves. It's a really short track, but one I really love.

[@miamiheat33162]

I loved playing The Revenge of Shinobi with headphones plugged into the Genesis as a kid

[@Theoneandonlyme43]

Yea with the rocket board stage music cranking

[@Xelios26]

Shinobi 3, easily one of the best Mega Drive games. Partly to my nostalgia, partly to how awesome the gameplay is, partly to the music. I could listend to the music whole day, some masterpiece tracks. You could easily test quality of your mega drive/genesis sound chip with soundtracks from this game. :)

[@Walkeranz]

Revenge of the Shinobi soundtrack rips! Yuzo Koshiro!

[@noface24]

Totally agree. I love Revenge of Shinobi, but I give the nod to Shinobi 3. Man I miss this series 😪

[@DrWho2008t101]

greeat game

[@apocalypticminister1369]

I have a passion for Revenge Of Shinobi... But, yes! I do love them all... I Remember hearing just 5he music to the original, and Revenge! Well, yes all of them are phenomenal... Just being able to run on 3 is a major improvement! Must plays all day!!!😎

[@sezarpartida8374]

Shinobi for smash bros ultimate!!!!!!

[@bluefat8096]

I played all three Shinobi games on the Sega Genesis. They all have good music and gorgeous graphics. The early game cartridges on of "The Revenge of Shinobi" has many pop culture references. You can find enemies that look like Rambo,Terminator,Hulk,Batman,Spider-Man,etc.

[@chrispan4126]

Man, honestly, your channel is one of the best in its category. Every video entertaining and informative. And this coming from a Nintendo kid. But to be honest if i could afford it back in the day i would have bought a Mega Drive along with my SNES just for Shinobi, Thunder Force and Sonic 2.

[@philmason9653]

I think Shinobi III is not just the best 16-bit Shinobi but the best 16-bit character action game period. Being able to run rather than just stroll made you feel far more like a ninja than the other two. It's a shame we never got a proper conversion of the original though, playing the current Sega AGES version I think in a lot of ways it has the tightest controls, especially when it comes to jumping.

[@mediaglitch]

I can't believe I'm watching this. I'm actually nervous to see which one you choose. I do have a favorite. ok time to finish the video. I'll check-in afterwards

[@maxmatson1578]

You know one great Sega soundtrack I would love to hear again is the Sega CD game "Dark wizard". That game had an Incredibles soundtrack!🎹🎧💫😵👌😎👍

[@parkyreiner]

Yes

[@robbvanderstoel7725]

I love Shadow Dancer. I never got into Revenge and never knew about III until recently. But SLX videos always make me want to play through the series. Shinobi arcade is an unlockable game in the PS3 Sega collection, and the others are available in the PS4 Sega collection.

[@iQuitGirls99]

While I can agree that all 3 games are great, my personal favorite will always be Shadow Dancer. The music, sound effects, bosses, it’s just fantastic. Played that one far more than the others. Plus my little brother pretended to play the dog as 2nd player so there’s that.

[@jhsdemo]

All three games are SEGA MASTERPIECES!!! As much as I love each one, Revenge of Shinobi is my pick.

[@erlingcypriansen]

Sega master system ❤️

[@thereeteam]

Nice video ! REVENGE OF SHINOBI is still the best with great sound, graphics, magics, gameplay and the Japanese style. SHADOW DANCER lost the Japanese style, takes place in New York with a futurist style. SHINOBI 3 is technicaly impressive, but plays like a Power Ranger hero :o)

[@SixtySixHundred-1982]

I got Revenge of Shinobi with my Megadrive when I bought it many moons ago but I have never completed it. Even with the infinite Shurikens cheat, I couldn't beat the game because of the fiendish difficulty! That game is more than a little bit challenging! Good choice for best Shinobi Megadrive game. I think I agree too, but I need to revisit Shadow Dancer before commiting myself. 😹 They're all fairly brilliant, so a blast on all of 'em wouldn't hurt at all. Good video, as usual. Thanks. 👍🙂

[@soulreaver1983]

Wow this brings me back! I remember playing the revenge of shinobi and fighting Spiderman and was absolutely thrilled! 😃 excellent video thanks man! Hope you keeping well! 👍

[@ragingraven7915]

The game had Spider Man, Rambo, I think even Batman, Godzilla. Game was crazy and loved it.

[@soulreaver1983]

@@ragingraven7915 Yeah it was so cool! 😀 they don't make classics like this anymore unfortunately😟

[@neozeed1984]

When this came out and I played it. I couldn't believe the bosses. Besides the atmosphere, graphics, music, and gameplay perfection, the boss surprises were unheard of. Thank god there was no internet for me to spoil it.

[@soulreaver1983]

@@neozeed1984 Yeah same here! I use to rent it every Christmas eve for 5 years! Until my dad bought me a copy of it for my birthday happy days!😁👍

[@DarDarBinks1986]

I played the hell out of Shinobi III as a kid. Since then, I scored a loose copy at a flea market. The music is amazing. I probably spent more time with it than any Genesis game other than the Sonic games, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Vectorman, and Jurassic Park.

[@jasonmurray890]

Revenge of Shinobi has been my all time favourite game that I played on the Megadrive, Shinobi 3 was also another 2nd favourite game that I enjoyed too😊😊👍👍

[@DrWho2008t101]

thanks for the video, it brings back fond memories.

[@deathcold_longplaysua4846]

Shinobi 3 is and will be always my favorite. It is a way ahead of it's time. I beat it back in my childhood like 100 times. I played it a lot. I beat it on different difficulty levels and i even challenged myself to the point where i tried to beat it without using any shurikens, just using melee close combat. I remember my friends reaction when i beat it in over a 30 minutes, while they tried to beat it and ended up stuck for hours or even days. Yeah, those were very incredible times for me. Sure, i'm not as skilled as i was back in my childhood now, but still, i remember how to play those games, despite playing them on emulator these days. These days, it took me longer to beat those games, and i don't do those challenges as i did back then, but i still love to play these old 16 bit games.

[@msolom9521]

Why don't mention this fantastic hear worm ... The shadow dancer bonus stage bgm ... Damn, this music still lives in my head since the beguinning ...

[@andersoneliascarvalho8149]

Fato: 98% dos que jogaram "The Revenge of Shinobi" na década de '90 não passaram do labirinto.

[@murdpower]

verdade

[@thomaselers7416]

Love the Shinobi games. ♥️ Edit, that thumbnail with Mt. Fuji and the temple, LOL.... Nice one SLX.

[@KannX]

Shinobi 3 in my opinion is the best looking game on Genesis. Colorful yet mature design with great animation and paralax scrolling.

[@mediaglitch]

I was sad that you didn't choose "The Revenge of Shinobi" but like you said it's your opinion. I really wish you would have mentioned that "The Revenge of Shinobi" has Batman and Spiderman and Godzilla and Rambo. Anyway great video!

[@truindividual]

in the earlier releases but in the later versions, that was taken out

[@rtoffelix]

Depending on which version you had.

[@truindividual]

@@rtoffelix yeah. The early versions had it

[@ghostito]

Great video, I love the three Shinobi entries in the Megadrive, as you say, each one has its own merits and flavour, and while Shinobi III is objectively the best one, my personal favourite will always be Shadow Dancer, probably because of its fast paced action and the one hit dying, wich always keeps you in tension during all the game. Also, while technically inferior to Shinobi III, to me its way more appealing visually, its graphics and music perfectly matches the intensity of the game and the constant danger you are exposed to.

[@MaidenHell1977]

Excellent review as per usual. All three games are excellent Genesis titles. Very happy and proud to own all three.

[@IamMarkSmith]

“The Revenge of Shinobi” was a bold move by Sega as it was a true sequel to an arcade game. It was well justified with the stellar sound and soundtrack in addition to the graphics that are still amazing in the modern era. I miss this “bolder” Sega and hope there still one of that Sega left in the coming years. They need to utilize their back catalog yesterday 😂👏🏾🎮!

[@akiidnamedslick5123]

Sega lord x u always hit it right on the nose with your reviews you definitely live up to your name 💯💪🏾

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

I love them all and you can't go wrong with either. Revenge - The music from Yuzo Koshiro. Shadow Dancer - Fast-paced gameplay and challenge. The music is indeed the best part of the game. The short duration is where I can overlook. Shinobi 3 - Basically took elements of Revenge and amped it up well. The music and fast-paced gameplay also won me over.

[@Ghostyx1989]

revenge will always be my favorite but like you said you cant go wrong with any

[@sombra1111]

The statue of liberty song in Shadow Dancer is one of the best 16 bit era tracks. All 3 games have amazing soundtracks. The intro song from The Revenge of Shinobi gives me a nostalgic feeling stronger than any song in the world. My brothers had it when it was released and I was 3 years old. I think it was the first time I've ever felt deep emotions towards music, or the first time my brain registered those emotions as a memory. I'm a musician nowadays and I can't help but think that these games played a big part in the formation of the musical part of my brain. I have to mention Chinatown, Make Me Dance, Over The Bay and both ending songs on The Revenge of Shinobi and Izayoi, Solitary, Japonesque and My Dear D on Shinobi 3 as all time favorites too.

[@leeaxon01]

Great video. Great to see games you've never used in other videos before. Ever.

[@maforo85]

Its a mixed bag but they are all great in their own way. Revenge of Shinobi has very classic and beautiful stages. But the character plays very slow and the jumps are too floaty plus the double jump is hard to execute at times and its crucial. Shinobi 3 double jump is better but still at times hard to execute. The characters plays much better and faster. Although this game has some changes to the character look and stages is very different than the other Shinobis. Its not my definite “Shinobi”. Shadow Dancer (Genesis) to me has the best character feel. Character plays smooth and fast. The jumps are not floaty. The moves are executed fluidly when you want. I also like the background jump just like the Arcade Shinobi. Plus the husky dog being your partner is awesome and to me is stable to Shinobi. The bad thing about this game is that I found the stages to be boring and not memorable like the other two Shinobi games. I love all 3 and is one of my favorite game series of all time, one of my favorite character of all time predating Sonic, and one of my favorite Sega and Genesis games of all time. My rank will be Revenge of Shinobi, Shadow Dancer and then Shinobi 3 . I wish Shinobi made a comeback like Sonic Mania. Classic 16 or 32 bit retro style but its a pipe dream.

[@davidadams3119]

Sega should make a new shinobi game for modern console's

[@DrWho2008t101]

thanks for the video.

[@Koexistence13]

"What is thy bidding my master?".... Shinobi showdown!

[@iPlaySEGA]

Shadow Dancer! ♥

[@vfletes1]

I never played Shinobi... Its been 30 years and still can't beat Ninja Gaiden lol.. Which Shinoni should i start with?

[@Estorium]

Start from the beginning, Revenge of Shinobi. Just do the trick to get unlimited shurikens. I find it makes the game a lot more fun. Go to option, set number of shurikens to 00 and leave the cursor on the 00 for a few seconds. It will eventually change to the infinity sign.

[@ninjamaster3453]

Start with the arcade version of shinobi and go in order.

[@manoo2056]

@@Estorium yes, I agree. The game will be still challenging enough, specially in certain last stages.

[@TheJadeFist]

I only beat Ninja Gaiden just the past few years myself. Just keep pushing through it, infinite continues basically means the game is only over when you give up.Learning enemy spawns and trying to manipulate them is really key to the last few stages.

[@icebergthegamer]

I’ve always loved Revenge of Shinobi. It’s easily my fave of the series. I did enjoy the other two as well.

[@greatestutuberhd]

Did Shadow Dancer really stand a chance? I've never heard anyone say they prefer it over both Revenge AND III.

[@DeludedOne]

Its one hit death made it a whole different game, hard to compare it with the other 2.

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

Revenge of shinobi no doubt! 👊👊👊👊

[@sloppynyuszi]

GG Shinobi was my first Shinobi experience, so my nostalgia lies there. I thought the Mega Drive versions were great! Never got into the arcade version. Even the graphics were a step down which wasn’t the case with most conversions. Even Altered beast and Golden Axe were ever that slightly better on Arcade hardware

[@Kiran24]

What is never mentioned in any comment section I have seen here: I love the way you play - you definitely have a skillset that makes it exciting to watch your videos! keep it up!

[@thehumbleone1983]

I love all three 👍👍👍👍👍

[@lancelindqvist8848]

Shinobi is better than ninja gaiden

[@anthonychipmunk5184]

The Revenge of Shinobi ftw!

[@ezraramos6917]

Shinobi 3 is the right answer.

[@el18922]

Such an underrated series.

[@jedidaddy74]

I wish I had gotten on the Sega train earlier.

[@bassage13]

I was there at the release of the Master System. SEGA is a major part of my childhood.

[@Gatorade69]

I was the same with the Super Nintendo as I grew up with a Genesis. Got to experience all the good SNES games later on (and the good Sega games I had missed) with emulation.

[@bassage13]

@@Gatorade69 Being a SEGA kid was the best situation for me. I never owned NES or SNES, but every kid in school and all my friends had Nintendo, so I experienced all of that just as much as the Nintendo owners. I played SOO much Nintendo at my friends' houses. I was the ONLY kid with a Master System and one of the few with a Genesis. I grew up with both worlds.

[@demonology2629]

Ninja Gaiden Acarde is two players... Shinobi is only one player..... Winner Ninja Gaiden Arcade 🙏🏼☯️🐲

[@rjhisle1973]

Revenge of Shinobi had the best soundtrack and for me the best backdrop with the Hong Kong inspired cityscape. Although For me Shinobi III has the best game play.

[@SalaDeVideoGame]

For me, as a SNES kid in 90's that has never played nothing from Mega Drive until 30yo, Shinobi is, by far, my favourite franchise on SEGA 16bit era. By far. Great video! Cheers from Brazil!

[@lilyounggamer]

Sega was my very first console ahh the memories can you do a super Mario world video please i loved the super nintendo also?

[@ofonruiz]

ask nintendo lord x

[@davidtorre1924]

SNES Drunk on KZbin is worth checking out. Both him and Sega Lord X have exposed me to lots of retro games I never heard of before that are excellent.

[@Oysterblade84]

I have to agree that Shinobi III is the best in the series. The graphics, the asethetics, the music and the amount of data. I remember first picking up the game in a second hand shop for $5.00 back in 2003 and was very impressed with it. I remember it had me mouth drooling for a fourth installment once I eventually finished it as the ending credits teases the player at another future installment by saying ''To Be Continued'' as Musashi rode off into the sunset on his horse Idaten. Sadly though despite the Mega Drive still having another few years for a new sequel to materialise before it's life span ran out, we never saw a Shinobi 4 as Sega instead made a sequel on the Sega Saturn with Shinobi X. I always loved how Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III both said ''To Be Continued'' instead of the usual ''The End'' as it always left it open for another, even if another game never developed.

[@NexStarMedia]

Shadow Dancer should automatically be eliminated because it CAN'T touch Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi 3. ;)

[@thenonexistinghero]

If you haven't played it yet, I highly recommend trying out Shinobi 3D for the 3DS. Personally, I think it's worthy of being referred to as a proper Shinobi 4. The graphics are kinda shoddy, but the gameplay, animation and level design are all top-notch. The developers were huge fans of the original Shinobi games and it really shows, in my opinion. They usually made licensed IP's that weren't that great, but this was pretty much a passion project for them. They weren't afraid to implement their own take on the formula either, so in terms of gameplay it's actually very unique. You can parry, combo and juggle, but it remains the feel of the Shinobi franchise. It's also very hard, I'd say even harder than Shadow Dancer. But with the benefits of modern game design and infinite continues, you don't need to start over from the beginning when you're game over (except when you play on hard). There's quite a few nods to the classic Shinobi games as well. I think the mini-games are the game's weakest parts, but they're still not all that bad. And there's quite a few extras to unlock (that encourage replay value even more). Anyhow, I recommend everyone who likes Shinobi games to check it out. If you're lucky, the developers might still visit the message board for the game on Gamefaqs every now and then.

[@TheSZone]

I prefer Revenge of Shinobi over Shinobi 3, but that’s purely because I grew up playing Revenge didn’t actually touch 3 until the Mega Drive Collection on the PSP. Shadow Dancer is one I tend to avoid, not a big fan of the 1 hit kills but I do play it every now and then. The Statue of Liberty track is one that always sticks in my head and it’s why I go back to it. Revenge of Shinobi is by far one of my fav games of all time, it’s just brilliant from start to finish and never gets boring. Would love to see SEGA come back to the franchise and give it a new entry. Get the devs from Streets Of Rage 4 on it and Yuzo Koshiro on the soundtrack and we’ve got a hit!

[@AldoAraujo85]

While these are all incredible games in their own right, I have to side with Revenge of Shinobi. Not only does it have Koshiro's legendary soundtrack, but the fact that you face off against against so many pop culture icons like Rambo, Terminator, Batman, Spider-Man, and even Godzilla, makes it win out for me!

[@ShadowArtist]

YES! "Shinobi 3" the Super Shinobi 2 is one of, if not the BEST action game on the Megadrive/Genesis, and the best of the Shinobi games IMO. I love RoS sure, Yuzo's music is great, but Shinobi III is a magnificent evolution of the series...

[@Supersayainpikmin]

I played Shinobi III for the first time the other night, I'm just wondering where this game has been my entire life. I have to play more to form an overall opinion but man I can't put it down. It's also one of the few 16 bit games where my skill is actually impacted because I keep focusing on the amazing backgrounds. This video convinced me to try it, and I much appriciate that!

[@ZMangz]

If there is one franchise Sega should bring back, its Shinobi (and phantasy star classic). You could easily do a brutal, intense Shinobi game these days and feel like a master. Loved Shinobi 3 and Revenge of Shinobi back in my youth, still love both games to this day.

[@Liquidcadmus]

Your reviews and breakdowns are always fantastic.

[@MalakaOldGamer]

For me, the two best ninja games from Sega for home consoles are Alex Kid in Shinobi World (sms) and this port of Shadow Dancer, and autentic new arcade proporsal only for home, just awesome

[@HexenStar]

First game to annoy, second - to master and the third - to enjoy. Shinobi 3 - unquestionably and absolutely. Hats off to you.

[@feelsbad6312]

yep shinobi 3 is the best!

[@riggel8804]

I never could get into Revenge. I have beat the other two and Shinobi Arcade. Revenge feels clunky compared to the rest. I will play through it someday. Watching this review has me hyped to play Revenge again.

[@antenant9294]

I lost track of the number of 20p pieces I put into the arcade game. :) Your conclusions here are spot on- for me the games got better over time (although I bought the first two on the same day, in 1992), but all three remain games worth playing today. This doesn't always happen with games series- either the sequels just dominate the earlier titles (SOR2 vs SOR for me), or lost the plot entirely (Golden Axe 3!). 16-Bit Shinobi is still an amazing trio of games. I couldn't get in to Shinobi X at all, though.

[@CubamusPrime]

Nothing compares to Revenge of Shinobi from the amazing Yuzo soundtrack to the digitize graphics.

[@ngiants2230]

To think that these three games could easily carry their own weight against their arcade counterparts graphically, musically, and technically yet looking at the memory used way less memory than actual arcade machines. When it’s said that Shinobi 3 used an “8 meg” cartridge for those unfamiliar it sounds like a large amount of memory and with the music, graphics (large bosses), and effects within the game it seems logical to believe that. But when you consider that “8 meg” was actually 8 meg...abits NOT bytes you realize that that “huge” 8 meg is actually only 1 megabyte. Tiny by today’s standards. Yet these games are packed full of gaming goodness that they rival imo the best of arcade action games. Kudos to you for the trip down memory lane.

[@Evercade_Effect]

If you get your hands on a Poly Mega with the Genesis module. I would love to see you do a video with your honest option on how Genesis, 32X, Sega CD, and Saturn play on it compared to original hardware.

[@kanekaosaard7449]

Nice and well thought video here SLX. I always found the Shinobi series difficult but maybe one day I should try again. You know how to give tribute to timeless games. On another note, here's a small piece of trivia for the Revenge of Shinobi. Joe Musashi's image on the title screen is actually based off of Japanese action star Sonny Chiba's role in the hit 1980 TV show Kage no Gundam (Shadow Warriors) and if you look real close, it looks just like Sonny and his portrayal of Hattori Hanzo.

[@yenk82]

I've bought Shinobi III when I was a 13 and I know the game perfectly, yesterday I've played and finished the Revenge of Shinobi for the first time and I've enjoyed it although it was strange for me to not have all the newer Joe's special moves like running, jumping on the wall, parry constantly, hanging etc. It's a slower and harder game but very nice as well. I will play Shadow Dancer for the first time in the next weeks.

[@MuJoNeSs]

Shinobi III is the pinnacle of the formula. It's so amazing in all categories. Graphics, gameplay, sound (omg so good), challenge and fun factor. But the others are great games too. We, SEGA fans, have a lot to experience playing this 3 outstanding ninja games. Thanks SLX, your channel/videos are so much fun to watch. S III is the winner for me too.

[@lioneart19]

Shadow Dancer is the weakest of the three IMO, and Shinobi III is objectively the best, but Revenge had more impact due to being released early (and has the best OST).

[@Sut1978]

8-bit Shinobi showdown (4 games), Handheld Shinobi showdown (4 games) and possibly a PS2 Shinobi showdown (2 games) ? Could make a good mini series Lord X

[@happyspaceinvader508]

It still mystifies me as to why Sega didn’t bring original Shinobi to the Genesis... since they had form for bringing plenty of other arcade hits that had already been released on the Master System. Also, we are surely WAY OVERDUE a modern Shinobi game? Not some 3D crap, but more like Streets of Rage 4?

[@slavicus2046]

Love both games, as well as Shadow Dancer. Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III are both 10/10 games for me, but I have to give it to Revenge because of the music, better stage design, higher difficulty, and the cameos. But really you can make a compelling argument for either game. Shadow Dancer is 9/10, great game but lacks the epicness of the other two and I hated the final boss.

[@eriklarson7023]

It’s like choosing a favorite child. I don’t want to make a decision. All are excellent. I have to give the nod to Shinobi 3 as well, for 2 reasons: the wide variety of offensive and defensive options, and difficulty that seems just right. Revenge leans towards being insanely hard, while I actually found Shadow Dancer to be the easiest of the 3. And, for the hell of it, my favorite tracks: Revenge: Chinatown SD: level 3-2, I think (the one with the scatting) III: Inner Darkside. Seriously, one of the best tracks of any Genesis game.

[@ziggypop79]

Always puzzled why Revenge of Shinobi isn’t included in Megadrive compilations? It’s always IIl which I never had back in the day

[@Aranesque]

Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III (specially 3!) Are my favorite of the series. Shadow Dancer is not bad either, but it's a lot more arcade-ish. The series deserves more love. Really hoping for Sega to give Lizardcube either Shinobi IV or at the very least a DLC for SoR IV to play as Musashi there x)

[@dirtface5923]

shinobi 3 is the bomb yo

[@RevanMartinez]

I’m mostly familiar with SHADOW DANCER. Shinobi is also name dropped in the first NINJA GAIDEN on NES haha

[@Unikronn]

@Sega lord X, i actually prefer GG Shinobi 2 to Revenge of Shinobi, probably not a popular opinion but hey, Sega made 5 outrageous Shinobi games on the Sega Megadrive & Game gear.

[@hectorfernando4445]

Revenge of Shinobi with Yuzo Koshiro music was the bomb! That China Town soundtrack was awesome. I used to rent the console (a few times) from a small local videostore just to play that game and Ghouls N Ghosts! I was not an early Genesis owner since I already owned a SNES.

[@jeremygregorio7472]

I think it was Gamespot that said Shadow Dancer's enemies lacked the "Wicked Moves" of Revenge, but I thought Shadow Dancer had way more complex enemy patters. I still prefer Revenge for it's soundtrack and sprite work but Shadow Dancer really made you feel like a bad ass ninja with the stuff you had to do to win.