Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (The Super Shinobi II)

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JaySevenZero
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Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (The Super Shinobi II)

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (The Super Shinobi II) for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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Re: 578: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (The Super Shinobi II)

Post by Alex79 »

I owned this back in the day and it was always a favourite. I replayed it today and it's held up very well. Looks good, nice animation and even decent boss fights! The game is a perfect length to blast through in an afternoon, and although it's tough in places, the checkpoints are generous enough that you're never put too far back to try again. I have one tip for the final boss. There's a magic you can use that damages the boss, kills your Shinobi and puts you back with full health (with one life lost). It's effectively a life bar extender seeing as you don't need to save your lives any more - managed the final boss on the second attempt using this method. All in all this is worth a play for sure. The only question I have is that at the end of the credits, it says "...to be continued", but as far as I know, it never was, was it?

EDIT: I'm talking rubbish, turns out there were loads of Shinobi games after this one :lol:
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AndrewElmore
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Re: 578: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (The Super Shinobi II)

Post by AndrewElmore »

I have a running list of my favorite examples of expertly tuned action games, and whenever I'm considering a game for that list, Shinobi III for the Genesis/Mega Drive is the first measuring stick that comes to mind. That's not necessarily intentional, it just happens to have occupied that space in my mind for some years now. It's in a hallowed pantheon alongside God Hand, Ninja Gaiden Black, Rondo of Blood, and a few other entries that occupy a similar place in my heart and mind.

My history with the game is foggy. I started getting really into collecting highlights of the Genesis catalogue again a few years back, which is where I ended up with my current copy of the game. Happy to say I ended up with a lovely complete copy for roughly a quarter of what it was going for at the time. It's a game I cherish and play often. Though I suspect my first experience with the game was likely on a dodgy emulator in the early 2000s.

I love the detailed pixel art work, maximizing the Mega Drive's color palette. I love the music, some of the most intricate FM synth work to come out of Sega in that era. I love the breadth of verbs at the player's disposal at any given moment, and the demands the game makes of your attention and reflexes in order to properly execute those verbs. I love the journey the game takes through increasingly ridiculous locales. I love the shmup-style body horror boss designs. I love learning their patterns and the satisfaction of pulling off a clean stage. I could go on and on, but at the end of the day, the thing I love most about Shinobi III is how it feels in the hands--the game has immensely satisfying kinesthetics, even compared to its contemporaries, which is a high bar to clear in my opinion. Playing Shinobi III is like cracking a glowstick and twisting a bundle of bubblewrap. It has such an excellent sense of friction.

It's not officially available on the eShop anymore, but I highly recommend seeking out M2's Sega AGES 3D release of the game for 3DS if you're able! The 3D parallax layer separation is very helpful for visual distinction, but there are also tools like level selects that are quite helpful for practicing certain stages or boss fights. It is indeed a difficult game (of course) but overall I've had much less issue with Shinobi III than I have with Revenge or Shadow Dancer. Shinobi III seems like a game that's much more interested in seeing you overcome difficult challenges rather than trying to eat your credits.

I don't think that Shinobi III is the singular best action game ever made--though if presented with such an assertion I wouldn't be interested in disagreeing--but I do think it is a masterfully crafted work that serves as an excellent standard. I respect it, and I love it dearly. It's a game well worthy of intricate study.
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Re: 578: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (The Super Shinobi II)

Post by Mr Ixolite »

Seeing this years podcast schedule made me go through Shadow Dancer, Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi 3 in short order, and Shinobi 3 very much felt like the series having a Castlevania 4- or maybe even a Rondo of Blood- moment, and not just because it’s a technical leap forward.

Everything immediately felt more accessible and “cool”. Joe Musashis moveset was much faster and flashier, with the ability to dash at enemies or dropkicking them in the face making you feel immediately empowered, and the somersault no longer feeling like it has pixel-perfect timing. Beyond the more aggressively capable Joe the game also felt more tuned towards fast paced action through the fun auto-scrolling setpiece levels, though my favorite little “extra Coolness” addition was the “Victory snapshot” images after defeating each boss. The series’ great sense of personality was also retained in said bosses, with the fleshy sewer abomination being the standout for me.

The game is also similar to the 16-Bit Castlevanias in that its quite a bit easier than its forebears. However it’s not like the game is devoid of challenge, it just doesn’t feel like it’s chucking bricks at you from offscreen while yelling “think fast! Memorise this brick!”. Ultimately it had the kind of difficulty where I could beat the final boss fair and square after a couple of failed attempts; some bosses I would even retry fighting, not in frustration at taking a hit or dying, but because I was confident that I could do better.

Shinobi 3 is a gorgeous, action-packed ninja rollercoaster, and it made me glad I stuck with the series past a rocky first impression from its forebears.


3 word review: Joe Musashi unleashed
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