Play Shinobi (USA, Europe) Online

You play as a ninja flipping between side-scrolling shuriken fights and tense first-person arrow deflections—every stage feels like a new test of reflexes. Master the jumps and it clicks, but man, those hostages better be worth it.

Developer: Sega

Genre: Action

Released: 1988

File size: 256 bytes

Game Overview

Shinobi on the Master System was way ahead of its time—you play as Joe Musashi, this badass ninja who’s basically rescuing hostages while slicing through waves of enemies. The platforming feels tight, but man, some of those jumps will test your patience (in a good way).

What’s cool is how it mixes things up—one minute you’re throwing shurikens in side-scrolling sections, the next you’re in these weird first-person mini-games where you deflect arrows. And yeah, it’s tough, but the difficulty curve actually makes sense once you get the hang of it. Ninja Gaiden fans should try this just to see where some of those ideas started.

Still holds up if you’re into retro games that don’t hold your hand.