Developed and published by Sega in 1992. Follow me on Twitter: / al82_retro Add me on Google+: Joe Musashi and his multi-coloured ninja chums are back on another mission to save civilization as we know it. The game follows the same premise as the original game albeit with additional objectives to achieve. As before, defeating the boss in each level will give access to a different coloured ninja with a set of different skills and weapons. However, also hidden within each of the game's levels is a coloured crystal, which must be collected to access the final level. Certain crystals require the player to have unlocked the other ninja as their skills are required to access areas that would otherwise be impassable. It's possible to replay each of the levels an unlimited number of times, so the player will eventually work out how to access each crystal. The final stage involves navigating a series on interconnected rooms, each of which is designed to make use of a specific ninja. The objective here is to defeat at least two bosses, which in turn will open the exit to the final set of bosses. The final room simply requires the player to master a succession of boss fights with the evil Black Ninja. Upon defeating each of these opponents, the final red crystal can be collected and the game ends. The original Shinobi on Game Gear was enjoyable and the sequel is even better. The graphics and animation are impressive for a handheld title, especially each of the boss characters. It is a easy to pick up, but sets a decent challenge, even to seasoned platform fans and is easy to recommend. #retrogaming
