Released: 2002
System: Playstation 2
Developer: Overworks
Publisher: Sega
Shinobi is a hack n' slash game which revives the classic character into more of a modern 3D game. Hotsuma is the name of the protagonist (good ol' Joe Musashi is gone), and the plot is way too deep for me to go into. Tons of enemies will cover the screen as Hotsuma takes them down with incredible speed and power. Hotsuma's sword eats souls, so he must make sure to defeat enemies as quickly as possible. Shinobi is a very hard game, yet very good; this is no game for casual ninja fans, no, this is for a true ninja master. Not only is the gameplay intense, but the game has a great soundtrack too. Hotsuma himself has received strong praise; he's noted for being very awesome, stylish, sleek, and full of ninjatastic fighting moves. His scarf alone is incredibly awesome! Could he possibly be the coolest ninja in video games?
I got to this butterfly like boss. I couldn't beat it because I couldn't master the "lock-on" attack or something, and I quit. It's been a few years hahaha, but I had fun while it lasted. The scarf is definitely awesome. I remember the commercial for this game is what caught my attention.
Dude, you got beat by a butterfly? It must have been a giant ninja butterfly! lol
hahaha
never played this. never heard of it. thought they quit with the Genesis.
It doesn't have the reputation of the Genesis games, but it's still a very solid and cool game. The Shinobi game for 3DS is very good as well.
My older brother rented this I'm pretty sure. I still have the EGM poster somewhere. Might have left that at home, though.
I imagine that poster must be pretty awesome.
I rented this game when I briefly had a subscription to Gamefly. I liked it, but didn't manage to make it that far. Mostly I just remember it being hard as hell.
Yeah, it's ninja hard (much like the old Shinobi games).
I miss these games a lot. I was also big into Onimusha and Fatal Frame that were also very deeply steeped in Japanese lore & customs.
By the way, Blood Will Tell (Real name Dororo) is a Masterpiece! Hard as hell but it's excellent from start to finish. I've never played any game like it before.
Ooo, I bought Blood Will Tell and Nightshade recently. I was looking up games by dev Sega Wow is why.
You'll like Blood Will Tell! Howver, the last boss is INSANE. But even the trip getting there is well worth it. I was pretty surprised by just how much content was in Blood Will Tell. Action games with that much meat on their bones are not as common these days.
Cool, I can't wait to play it.
Never played the game, but I still have the poster featuring it that came with an old issue of EGM.
I wanted to love this game, but it's such a bitch! 
When I got to the level that had no floor, I said, "Man, f this." and quit. Hadn't touched it in over a decade. 
I never played this one because I heard it was stupid hard. I hear there is a sequel that stars one of the ninja lady characters. Lady ninjas are cool.
Yes, the name of the sequel is "Nightshade." I'm not sure if it's any good though.
Yea, I have this one, but haven't played it yet.