SEGA conceived Shinobi in 1987 as an arcade game. From there, SEGA converted Shinobi into many different iterations, many different versions of the original arcade game. In a similar fashion to Ninja Gaiden. Shinobi has been ported to many platforms, including their own console – the Sega Master System. The other platforms are Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MSX, IBM PC, PC Engine, NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), and later ported to Nintendo Wii (via Virtual Console), Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade), Nintendo Switch (under Sega Ages label). Shinobi has multiple names under the franchise banner, one of them is Shadow Dancer, which also has been ported to many platforms. Shadow Dancer is the sequel to the original Shinobi, believe it or not.
The highlight of the franchise came as soon as Sega Genesis was released. According to Noriyoshi Ohba, The Revenge of Shinobi was a technical showcase for Sega Genesis. The game would go on to be the base model for licensed games that succeeded “The Revenge of Shinobi.” So, all the licensed Spider Man games on Genesis? Based off of Shinobi. If you looked at the wikipedia entry for the game, you’d know this. Every single licensed Spiderman, Batman, or similar Marvel game by SEGA themselves are based around Shinobi. The next game became a masterpiece, and most people agree on this. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master was the real technical showcase for Sega Genesis. I’ve played both The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, I would argue that Shinobi 3 is the masterpiece game on Genesis. Many Genesis fans agree on this. Sega released Shinobi Legions for Saturn in 1995. In 2002, Sega attempted a reboot of Shinobi as simply that; “Shinobi.” Nightshade, which is a Shinobi game – was released for PlayStation 2 in 2003.
On August 29, 2025 – Sega released Shinobi: Art of Vengeance for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S / X, Nintendo Switch, and PC. In today’s review, I am going to assume that you are a first time Shinobi player, and you have played a Metroidvania game before for reasons I will explain later. I will also assume you are somewhat of a “casual.”
Gameplay
For the entry level “casual,” Shinobi is an action game. You are a ninja. You are a mysterious “Shinobi,” which in Japanese language is known as “Ninja.” You progress through Shinobi: Art of Vengeance by defeating enemies onscreen. However, it is not a linear action game, though. This is where I talk to the general public, which includes the folks that have played the games since the series’ inception, or at least played a game in the Shinobi series. I will also talk to hardcore gamers when I say this, most of the game is linear as in you go from “A” to “B” if you want to complete the main story. However, it’s not completely linear, because there are secrets in the game. Most hardcore gamers understand what this is, this is basically a semi-Metroidvania – for those who don’t know what that is – it is a genre coined by two games: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Super Metroid. Both games allowed you to progress in a linear path, but both games have “branching paths.” In these branching paths, you are able to upgrade your character, and gain abilities. Those upgrades and abilities unlock secrets, unlock new locations, unlocked previously inaccessible locations.
When you progress in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, you earn new abilities over time. With these abilities, you get to unlock locations that were previously inaccessible. Joe Musashi – whom you control in-game – can attain strong powers during the game. You gain these powers via gears like amulets. These gears are practically loadouts for your character.
Controls
The controls are basic for an action game. But, there is an art to the controls than it meets the eye. I’ll talk more about controls under the graphics section – because they interchange how it affects each other. For the most part, controls are simple, yet difficult to understand or to “control.” Each attack, each jump, each move, each button brings a sophistication to it. For the casual, you can waltz through Shinobi: Art of Vengeance without any issue bar any difficult spots. That is, without going Metroidvania. If you just simply go from “A,” to “B,” without the secrets, the game is kinda easy. The only hard parts are the bosses, and the intricate level designs. I’ll talk about intricate level designs in the difficulty section. Because there are levels to it.
Controls are basic, but it also has a learning curve as you progress. If you are linear in the game, going for the storyline… you’ll think this is a basic action game. But if you chain all the moves together, and you learn the moves, you can actually progress faster, and do the more difficult spots of the game. For the hardcore, I would say Shinobi: Art of Vengeance has a little bit of a “souls” feel to it. For those of you who don’t know what a “Souls” game is – it’s games that punishes you for taking an attack. Some enemies or boss encounters do subtract life or energy in large quantity. One hit from some bosses will subtract close to 30% of your health for example. Later bosses take more. They want you to learn their patterns.
Graphics
Graphics is both a low point, and a high point of the game. The game is beautiful, and most of the game is designed like a painting in a video game. Lizardcube, the developers behind Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, is the same developers behind Streets of Rage 4. SEGA tasked Lizardcube to reinvent Shinobi, as SEGA brings back dormant franchises in an effort to revitalize the SEGA brand.
And they’re successful at it. While the game is beautiful – the drawbacks are obvious from the get-go. Each move, each animation are beautiful, but “slow.” By saying “slow,” I am not going to gain any favors from SEGA or Lizardcube. However, I have to call it what it is. Don’t get me wrong, I love the art, and the design. I love the graphics. But the biggest weakness, and it’s what I alluded in the “controls” section. My biggest issue is the execution of each move. To execute some moves, it moves slow, some moves move faster. Taking damage is worse in this aspect. Once you get attacked, you are frozen for a second or two.
The director of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is Ben Fiquet. He also is the artist on the game. Most 2D games are pixel art, here with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, each stage, location are designed as if it was taken out of a painting. At the same time, modernizing 2D graphics. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not entirely painting, but your peripheral understands that its a painting. However, some parts will feel like a drawing in some places. I’ve embedded some videos to aid my point. However, the “Shinobi” character is in full HD, full 60 frames per second ink. However, there are drawbacks to each animation. This won’t matter in the first few stages, but the later stages, you will have to use each move – in the right way. You will even have to time each move. When you attack enemies, the hitboxes are a bit weird. Normally, your attacks’ hitboxes are at the edge of a weapon. like a sword. And I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, when I say this, but the hitboxes are not at the edge of the sword swipe or attack. They are inside the flame that follows the sword. They designed it this way for a reason, because the later attacks have fire. When you start the game, your swipes are in red “flames.” When you jump, you have a certain jump distance, and so, if you miss a spot, you will fall to blades, lazers, or whatever hazard that await you. This is worse when you chain moves. I don’t know how to explain it in words. You’d have to play the game to really understand what I mean.
Music & Sound
Besides the graphics, Music and Sound is the highlight of the game. The sounds in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance are clear, punchy, and aligns with what is going on-screen. Music is incredible. From the minute you start playing Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, you are gripped from the get-go. The music goes with with the theme of the stage. For example, when you start the game, you are introduced to the main character, which is Joe Musashi. You are also introduced to Joe’s pregnant wife. Disaster hits when you’re then introduced to kunoichi Naoko, you are then introduced to the storyline. ENE Corp is in the distance, destroying towns – including Joe’s town. In Joe’s town, lies the Oboro clan. Most of Joe’s students have been eliminated. The music transitions when you are moving from one spot to the next and blends really well. The tempo ramps up as you progress the stage or stages. In Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, you will notice the small details – like the music – matches with the stages. One of the stages is straight out of Shinobi III, for example. And the music is similar. One of the spots is designed in such a way, that seems to be pulled straight from a stage in Shinobi III, and it’s the falling rocks.
Replay Value
Note: I will merge “difficulty” into this section.
The replay value is high for multiple reasons. As I alluded before, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a semi-Metroidvania. Each stage has “branching” paths that allows you, the player to explore the stages. Some spots require a new ability. When you start Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, your player character has basic abilities, basic moves, that is until you obtain abilities like the hook, that you’re able to reach new areas of the stages. When you start Art of Vengeance, you’ll see some spots that is inaccessible at the moment, that’s a secret at the moment, even though you see the item there. You don’t have the ability yet, so you you have to go back there with the new ability. That’s where the replay value comes in. Not only do you gain new abilities in the world, you also buy abilities or gears as you progress. With each enemy elimination, you gain varying items like health, and coins. You get to spend these coins on these upgrades.
Another area that Replay Value is high on, is the difficulty. The game is for most part, “easy.” But, but that doesn’t mean there are difficult spots, difficult bosses, difficult stages, difficult secrets. The later secrets are brutal. Some stages have branching spots that make it feel like an open-world, but those spots are either easy, or hard depending on how the designers made it. There are some medium-level difficult spots, but they are far and between. It’s either easy or hard. The hardest spots are far away from your peripheral so you don’t get discouraged. But the game does reward you if you go through the challenge.
CarlosX360’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Gameplay Playlist
In Conclusion
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a beautiful, albeit semi-Metroidvania, You are able to play the game in a linear fashion, or explore the game as you wish. Art of Vengeance encourages you to explore the stages with your newly-found upgrade(s) or abilities. Art of Vengeance is a beautiful love letter to both casuals, and hardcore players alike. It is a beautiful love letter to all Shinobi fans. Art of Vengeance aims to take you through their stages with world-building, and storytelling. You are not just playing a game, you are playing a storyline that is told during the game, and once you finish the stages. The music and sound grips you from the minute you start playing.
