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Shinobi (Game Gear)
Encyclopedia
is a side-scrolling action game
by Sega
released for the Game Gear in . It was the first Shinobi game developed specifically for a portable game platform. The player controls the modern-day ninja Joe Musashi
, protagonist of previous Shinobi games, as he goes on a mission to rescue four kidnapped comrades from an enemy, gaining control of the other ninjas (each with different abilities) as the game progresses in a manner inspired by Mega Man
. It was followed by The G.G. Shinobi II: The Silent Fury in .
The Master knows that only a warrior trained in the arts of ninjutsu
can stand against this menace. One by one his greatest pupils enter Neo City to locate and destroy the source of the evil. Ninja Valley has lost contact with each of them. All are believed to be captured.
It is now up to Joe Musashi
, the Red Shinobi, to carry through this dire mission. As the oldest and strongest of his ninja disciples, Musashi must use his special skills in the art of ninjutsu to free his fellow shinobi. With their combined strength, they can destroy the City of Fear.
. Movement is limited to walking, attacking and jumping. To compensate the restriction of action however, The G.G. Shinobi offers a unique mechanic to add variety.
The objective of the game is to free four ninja
s held captive by the evil crime
organization: pink ninja, blue ninja, green ninja and yellow ninja. When a stage is completed, the freed ninja joins the player's party and can be switched to during play. Each ninja comes equipped with a unique weapon, ninjitsu and skill. When the game begins however, the player can only control the Red Shinobi, and his only form of attack is a short-range katana
slash. The Pink Shinobi tosses bombs and can climb and walk on the ceiling; the Yellow Shinobi attacks with energy blasts and can walk on water; the Blue Shinobi has a grappling hook that can be used to swing on certain pegs; and the Green Shinobi wields shuriken
and is the only one who is able to execute a somersault. This enables him to jump higher than other ninjas. Pressing the attack button while he is doing a somersault and multiple shurikens will be thrown. Switching between different ninjas is done using the pause menu.
The player can decide in which order the first four levels are completed, although as these can only be played through once and certain items cannot be reached without using the different ninja's skills, there is an optimum order to the levels. When all ninja have been rescued, the final confrontation takes place in the fifth stage Neo City. The city itself is a maze-like series of rooms, each specialised to one ninjas skills. For example, the first room consists of many blocks dropping from the ceiling to the floor, and requires Green Ninja's double jump to reach the exits at the top.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
released for the Game Gear in . It was the first Shinobi game developed specifically for a portable game platform. The player controls the modern-day ninja Joe Musashi
Joe Musashi
is a player character and main hero in Sega's Shinobi series of video games, first introduced in 1987.-Character design:When debuting in the Shinobi series, Musashi was designed with an outfit that would be described by IGN as "thoroughly traditional", whereas Sega would coordinate later characters...
, protagonist of previous Shinobi games, as he goes on a mission to rescue four kidnapped comrades from an enemy, gaining control of the other ninjas (each with different abilities) as the game progresses in a manner inspired by Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
. It was followed by The G.G. Shinobi II: The Silent Fury in .
Plot
Rumors of terror and destruction have made their way to Ninja Valley. The Master of the Oboro school of shinobi sends his best students to investigate the horrible tales coming from the suburban areas. They return with news of a powerful dark force that has established a base within Neo City.The Master knows that only a warrior trained in the arts of ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
can stand against this menace. One by one his greatest pupils enter Neo City to locate and destroy the source of the evil. Ninja Valley has lost contact with each of them. All are believed to be captured.
It is now up to Joe Musashi
Joe Musashi
is a player character and main hero in Sega's Shinobi series of video games, first introduced in 1987.-Character design:When debuting in the Shinobi series, Musashi was designed with an outfit that would be described by IGN as "thoroughly traditional", whereas Sega would coordinate later characters...
, the Red Shinobi, to carry through this dire mission. As the oldest and strongest of his ninja disciples, Musashi must use his special skills in the art of ninjutsu to free his fellow shinobi. With their combined strength, they can destroy the City of Fear.
Gameplay
The game mechanics of The G.G. Shinobi is similar to that seen in The Revenge of ShinobiThe Revenge of Shinobi
The Revenge of Shinobi, published in Japan as is a video game developed and published by Sega in 1989. It was the first Shinobi game developed for the Sega Mega Drive, and was later released on the coin-operated version of that console, the Mega-Tech....
. Movement is limited to walking, attacking and jumping. To compensate the restriction of action however, The G.G. Shinobi offers a unique mechanic to add variety.
The objective of the game is to free four ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
s held captive by the evil crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
organization: pink ninja, blue ninja, green ninja and yellow ninja. When a stage is completed, the freed ninja joins the player's party and can be switched to during play. Each ninja comes equipped with a unique weapon, ninjitsu and skill. When the game begins however, the player can only control the Red Shinobi, and his only form of attack is a short-range katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
slash. The Pink Shinobi tosses bombs and can climb and walk on the ceiling; the Yellow Shinobi attacks with energy blasts and can walk on water; the Blue Shinobi has a grappling hook that can be used to swing on certain pegs; and the Green Shinobi wields shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
and is the only one who is able to execute a somersault. This enables him to jump higher than other ninjas. Pressing the attack button while he is doing a somersault and multiple shurikens will be thrown. Switching between different ninjas is done using the pause menu.
The player can decide in which order the first four levels are completed, although as these can only be played through once and certain items cannot be reached without using the different ninja's skills, there is an optimum order to the levels. When all ninja have been rescued, the final confrontation takes place in the fifth stage Neo City. The city itself is a maze-like series of rooms, each specialised to one ninjas skills. For example, the first room consists of many blocks dropping from the ceiling to the floor, and requires Green Ninja's double jump to reach the exits at the top.