Having played a ton of Shadow Dancer and Shinobi III...this one is just okay in comparison. Yes, it was arguably one of the best games to come from the pre-Sonic lineup especially when comparing it to Space Harrier 2 and Altered Beast, but it still has a lot of problems.
For one, the double jump. It's been mentioned a million times already, but even on original hardware with a CRT (which is how I decided to revisit the game after my half sister got me one as an early christmas present) it can feel finnicky. It's not a sKiLL iSsUe thing for me either...I've finished this game a few times and Shinobi 3 numerous times even on the hardest setting because of how great that one is. It's also how you jump in and out of the background on certain stages, which is pretty much mandatory.
Speaking of that mechanic, it's really hard to tell what's part of the foreground and background in round 3. Even after a few playthroughs I still got thrown off by this personally.
Then there's the knockback. You thought it was bad in Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania? Revenge of Shinobi is like "hold my beer". Fortunately, you have access to some pretty nifty magical powers including a shield that will circumvent this for a few hits. It's almost mandatory when traversing round 8-1 on account of how much enemy and projectile spam there is.
Even if it does play like a B tier NES action platformer, it does have its moments. The music, of course, is peak Sega and the one thing just about everyone brings up when talking about this game. It's for good reason. Secondly, the first half of the game is pretty strong despite the gross knockback mechanic and janky double jump. The bosses, while not difficult, are also pretty amusing. I especially liked how there was a sense of urgency with the final boss as you see a wall of cement slowly closing in on your girlfriend in the background. It reminds me a lot of the setup for Comix Zone's finale, which is a game I love.
Sega fans in their 40s will tell you this is peak Shinobi, and although I can admit this was a historically important game and has its moments, it's definitely aged a bit. It walked so Shinobi 3 could run full speed ahead and become one of the best games on the console.
For one, the double jump. It's been mentioned a million times already, but even on original hardware with a CRT (which is how I decided to revisit the game after my half sister got me one as an early christmas present) it can feel finnicky. It's not a sKiLL iSsUe thing for me either...I've finished this game a few times and Shinobi 3 numerous times even on the hardest setting because of how great that one is. It's also how you jump in and out of the background on certain stages, which is pretty much mandatory.
Speaking of that mechanic, it's really hard to tell what's part of the foreground and background in round 3. Even after a few playthroughs I still got thrown off by this personally.
Then there's the knockback. You thought it was bad in Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania? Revenge of Shinobi is like "hold my beer". Fortunately, you have access to some pretty nifty magical powers including a shield that will circumvent this for a few hits. It's almost mandatory when traversing round 8-1 on account of how much enemy and projectile spam there is.
Even if it does play like a B tier NES action platformer, it does have its moments. The music, of course, is peak Sega and the one thing just about everyone brings up when talking about this game. It's for good reason. Secondly, the first half of the game is pretty strong despite the gross knockback mechanic and janky double jump. The bosses, while not difficult, are also pretty amusing. I especially liked how there was a sense of urgency with the final boss as you see a wall of cement slowly closing in on your girlfriend in the background. It reminds me a lot of the setup for Comix Zone's finale, which is a game I love.
Sega fans in their 40s will tell you this is peak Shinobi, and although I can admit this was a historically important game and has its moments, it's definitely aged a bit. It walked so Shinobi 3 could run full speed ahead and become one of the best games on the console.