Shinobi Review | March 27, 2016
Xbox 360 Arcade Exclusive Title

Shinobi is a 2D side scrolling action platformer. It is a title by Sega and was a huge arcade hit when it was released in 1987. Since then the arcade version of this game has been made for available for the Sega Master System in 1988 a PC and Nintendo version in 1989 and a digital Nintendo Wii and one the Xbox 360. A ninja named Joe Musashi has had his students kidnapped by a criminal organization named Zeed. His students are being held in five locations and in order to move on to the next place he must rescue his them first and defeat each lairs ninja master before he can take on the leader.
If Shinobi was in your local arcade then you clearly know how much fun it was to play and you easily spent more quarters then you needed to. It was and still is incredibly challenging. Even this newer version that you can get on Xbox Live or Nintendo Virtual Console are difficult, even too difficult at times.  You will die a lot but if you use the in game save system often it will help lessen the burden because when you do die you are sent back to the beginning of the level unless you saved. There is also a timer making you move forward even if you don’t want to. It runs out it back to the start again. The timer is not much of a problem most of the time unlike other crazy difficult games like Ghost 'n' Goblins.
At the time of this review you could still get the original arcade version of Shinobi through Xbox Live and it is also an unlockable game on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Sega Genesis Ultimate Collection. It took us over 4 hours to get through all five missions of the game our first time, there are 19 level in all. Despite Shinobi’s age the game still holds up and the combat and controls are perfect. We had zero issues with the controls and loved every second we played the game. At $5.00 on Xbox Live it is worth it especially if you were an arcade kid. You have already spent way more than that in quarters. If you have never played the game you will still be OK at that price point. We have not seen Shinobi go on sale so you are stuck at that price point. If you ever find under $3.00 then it is a MUST BUY PRICE for any and all types of gamers. No idea why Shinobi is not on more gaming systems.

8.5 out of 10
Great Game

8.0 out of 10
Good Game


Rated E10 for Everyone

Rated PEGI 12

Dragon's Lair

Golden Axe

POW Prisoners of War

Time Soldiers

Ikari Warriors