Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
From Sega Retro
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| Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Virtual Console, iOS, Steam, RealOne Arcade, Nintendo Switch Online | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Sega | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer:    | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sound driver: SMPS 68000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Action[1][2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, known as The Super Shinobi II (ザ・スーパー忍II) in Japan, is a Sega Mega Drive action game developed by Megasoft and published by Sega. First released in Japan in July 1993, the game is the direct sequel to 1989's The Revenge of Shinobi, and received critical acclaim for its graphics, music, and design.
As a first-party Sega game, it has seen numerous re-releases in compilations such as Sega Genesis Collection, and has been ported to Virtual Console, Steam, and iOS.
Contents
Story
Neo Zeed is threatening the world once more. The evil crime syndicate, thought to have been vanquished two years earlier, has returned, headed by a man known only as the Shadow Master. Joe Musashi has felt their presence and descends from the lonely mountaintops of Japan to face his nemesis once more.
Gameplay
Shinobi III is an action platforming game like its predecessors where the player controls the ninja master Joe Mushashi, who is faster and more agile than in the previous game. Joe can be moved with 
or 
and can crouch with 
. He can move while crouching with 
and 
. He can also now run with or . Joe can jump with 
and somersault by pressing again at the peak of a jump. The somersault lets him jump higher, plus he can throw eight shuriken in a semicircle by pressing 
again in mid-air. Musashi can jump off a platform by pressing +. He can grab a platform, ceiling, or line by pressing 
while within grabbing range and jump off from it by pressing + or +. He can also now jump off walls by pressing upon contact with a wall.
Mushashi attacks enemies by throwing shurikens at range or kicking them with . Shurikens are limited but can be replenished by collecting items. The player can find a Power Pack item that empowers Joe's shurikens, though this effect is lost if Joe is hit by an enemy (encouraging the player to avoid any damage, recalling the one-hit deaths of the original arcade game). He can now guard, protecting against enemy attacks from the front, by holding ; this can be done either stationary or moving, standing or crouching, but not in mid-air. Joe has a new dive kick, performed by pressing + in mid-air. This can be done after jumping from the ground or from a platform. Joe can dash toward an enemy with his sword, granting him a short period of invulnerability, by pressing + (or + if facing left). This maneuver can also be used to cross small gaps.
Joe also has a special ninjutsu ability that can be used once per life with 
. The player can choose between four ninjutsu abilities, which can be selected by pausing the game with START . Ninjutsu abilities are carried over from Revenge of Shinobi. If Joe finds a Ninjutsu item, he can use two ninjutsu abilities on the same life. The game awards the player a bonus for completing a round without using a ninjutsu ability.
Joe has a life gauge, which is diminished each time he takes damage from an enemy weapon. It can be replenished by items. Touching an enemy but not a weapon knocks Joe back. If Joe loses his entire life gauge, he loses a life. If he loses all of his lives, the game ends, but it can be continued. The game starts with three continues. The player can choose between four difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Expert). The difficulty level affects the number of starting lives. Musashi takes twice as much damage on Expert. The player can also choose the number of starting shuriken from the options menu.
Support for the Six Button Control Pad is available by using a cheat code.
Ninjutsu Spells
Mushashi can execute any of the four ninjutsu techniques once per stage (or more if a Ninjutsu item has been collected).
| Jutsu of Ikazuchi (The Art of Thunder) | |
|---|---|
| Surrounds Musashi with lightning, which protects him from four hits before dissipating. | |
| Jutsu of Kariu (The Art of Fire) | |
| Summons four pillars of flame that damage any enemies caught in them. | |
| Jutsu of Fushin (The Art of Floating) | |
| Creates ghost images of Musashi that heighten his jumps. | |
| Jutsu of Mijin (The Art of Pulverizing) | |
| Turns Musashi into a living bomb, damaging all enemies on screen at the cost of a life. |
Items
Items are found in crates, which can be attacked to break open.
| Power Pack | |
|---|---|
| Empowers Musashi's shurikens. The effect is lost after taking damage. | |
| 5 Shurikens | |
| Gives the player 5 more shurikens. | |
| 10 Shurikens | |
| Gives the player 20 more shurikens. | |
| Heart | |
| Heals Musashi for four health bars. | |
| 1-Up | |
| Gives the player an extra life. | |
| Ninjutsu | |
| Gives the player the ability to use another ninjutsu on the same life. | |
| Bomb | |
| Explodes and harms Musashi if he is caught in the blast. Also destroys any items (but not crates) that may be adjacent to it. Explodes slowly if Musashi is at a distance but quickly if he is close. |
Rounds
Rounds generally consist of two sections, each with its own boss. Some rounds are longer but never have more than two bosses. The final round only has one boss.
| Zeed's Resurrection | |
|---|---|
| Secret Entry | |
| Body Weapon | |
| Destruction | |
| Electric Demon | |
| Traps | |
| The Final Confrontation | |
History
Development
- Main article: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master/Development.
Legacy
Versions
- There are minimal visual differences between the Western and Japanese version, such as the transition to the cave in Stage 1 happening earlier.
- The PAL version was partially optimized to play the background music at the correct speed. However, gameplay is still slower compared to NTSC versions. Forcing the game into NTSC mode makes the music play too fast.
- The Asian version is mostly identical to the Japanese release, the only difference being the label on the back of the cartridge is in English.
Comparisons
- Main article: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master/Comparisons.
Version history
- Main article: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master/Changelog.
| System | Version | Size | Date | Comment | Ref | Icon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.0.0 | 5.3MB | 2012-11-30 | iOS 6 support. | [22] | ||
|
1.0.0 | 5.2MB | 2011-01-27 | [23] |
Localised names
| Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| English | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master |
| English (US) | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master |
| Japanese | ザ・スーパー忍II | The Super Shinobi II |
Production credits
- Directors: Tomoyuki Ito, Takeshi Matsuhashi
- Programmers: Tsukasa Aoki, Toshiaki Yajima, Akio Ooi
- Graphic designers: Kazuyuki Iwasawa, Katsuhiko Ogikubo, Hiroyuki Hirama, Hideaki Moriya, Masanori Hara
- Music and sound: Masayuki Nagao, Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama
- Planner: Naohisa Nakazawa
- Supervisor: Noriyoshi Ooba
- Producers: Tomio Takami, Tokinori Kaneyasu
- Special thanks to: Kazuo Fuchigami, Isao Okano, Yasuo Minowa, Kouji Umeda, Kouji Iwashita, Hiroshi Ooba, Toshiyasu Kamiko, Akira Terasawa, Takayuki Yanagihori, Yuusuke Yoshida
Digital manuals
Steam manual
Mega Drive Mini US manual
Mega Drive Mini EU manual
Magazine articles
- Main article: Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- Velikiy Drakon (RU) #61 (2003-02-07)[25]
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
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82 |
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| Based on 50 reviews | |
| Mega Drive, JP |
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 Cover
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  Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, US |
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 Cover
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 Cart  Manual  PCB |
| Mega Drive, EU |
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 Cover
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 Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, EU (Classic Mega Drive) |
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 Cover
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Cart Manual |
| Mega Drive, FR |
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 Manual |
| Mega Drive, FR (Blister pack) |
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 Cover
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| Mega Drive, SE (Rental) |
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| Mega Drive, AU |
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 Cart  Manual |
| Mega Drive, AU (Silver) |
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   Cover
|
 Cart Manual |
| Mega Drive, AU (Sega Gold Collection) |
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 Cover
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Cart Manual Silver Cart |
| Mega Drive, BR |
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 Cover
|
 Manual |
| Mega Drive, KR |
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 Cover
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  Cart |
| Mega Drive, AS† |
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 Cover
|
  Cart |
Mega Play version
| Mega Play, |
|---|
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Technical information
ROM dump status
| System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1MB | 1993-06 | Cartridge (US) | ||||||||||
|
|
1MB | 1993-06 | Cartridge (EU) | ||||||||||
|
|
1MB | 1993-05 | Cartridge (JP) | ||||||||||
|
|
1MB | 1992-11 | Page | ||||||||||
|
|
1MB | 1993-06-29 | CD-R disc | Page |
External links
- Sega of America webpage: Mega Drive
- Sega of Japan Virtual Console pages: Mega Drive
- Nintendo catalogue pages: US, AU
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master on iTunes: JP, US, UK (offline)
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master on Steam
References
- ↑ File:SuperShinobiII MD JP Box.jpg
- ↑ File:ShinobiIII MD KR cover.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/megadrive/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-07-20 09:51)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 GamePro, "August 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 60
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mega Action, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-09), page 32
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Computer & Video Games, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-15), page 38
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (DE; 1993-03-26), page 33
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/software/04.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-03-05 23:40)
- ↑ http://vc.sega.jp:80/vc_shinobi2/ (Wayback Machine: 2007-07-08 21:15)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/m119YR7nVb2n5rkbv3FFQUNWshT_28YQ (Wayback Machine: 2010-11-23 02:24)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.nintendolife.com/games/megadrive/shinobi_iii_return_of_the_ninja_master (Wayback Machine: 2017-07-04 14:47)
- ↑ http://www.nintendo.com.au/index.php?action=catalogue&prodcat_id=41&prod_id=19768&pageID=4 (Wayback Machine: 2012-04-03 02:20)
- ↑ [ ]
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 https://steamdb.info/app/34277/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-11-13 23:24)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 http://steamdb.info/app/34277/ (Wayback Machine: 2013-05-22 20:14)
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 16.9 https://steamdb.info/app/34277/history/?changeid=5755307
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 17.8 17.9 http://steamdb.info/app/34277/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-11-13 23:24)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 http://blogs.sega.com/2011/01/27/shinobi-iii-out-now-on-iphone/ (Wayback Machine: 2018-02-17 01:11)
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/es/app/shinobi-iii-return-ninja-master/id415942619?mt=8 (Wayback Machine: 2011-02-16 08:11)
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/shinobi-iii-return-ninja-master/id415942619?mt=8 (Wayback Machine: 2011-02-04 02:56)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 http://www.4gamer.net/games/049/G004989/20110128005/ (Wayback Machine: 2011-01-31 10:02)
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shinobi-iii-return-ninja-master/id415942619?mt=8 (Wayback Machine: 2014-08-03 00:16)
- ↑ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shinobi-iii-return-ninja-master/id415942619?mt=8 (Wayback Machine: 2011-02-14 14:00)
- ↑ File:Shinobi III MD credits.pdf
- ↑ Velikiy Drakon, "" (RU; 2003-02-07), page 68
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2003-03-10), page 207
- ↑ Ação Games, "Setembro 1993" (BR; 1993-09-01), page 18
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "August 1993" (JP; 1993-07-08), page 20
- ↑ Console Mania, "Ottobre 1993" (IT; 1993-xx-xx), page 36
- ↑ Consoles +, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 138
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 187
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "February 1993" (UK; 1993-01-15), page 22
- ↑ Computer + Video Giochi, "Novembre 1993" (IT; 1993-xx-xx), page 109
- ↑ Dengeki Mega Drive, "August 1993" (JP; 1993-07-08), page 35
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 34
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 357
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 9, "" (RU; 2002-xx-xx), page 206
- ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 89
- ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 3: January 1993" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 10
- ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 10: September 1993" (US; 1993-xx-xx), page 14
- ↑ Gamers, "Oktober/November 1993" (DE; 1993-09-24), page 64
- ↑ Hippon Super, "August 1993" (JP; 1993-07-03), page 42
- ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Agosto 1993" (ES; 1993-xx-xx), page 68
- ↑ Joypad, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 148
- ↑ MAN!AC, "11/93" (DE; 1993-xx-xx), page 28
- ↑ Mega, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-16), page 34
- ↑ Megablast, "1/94" (DE; 1993-12-29), page 32
- ↑ Mega Force, "Septembre 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 98
- ↑ Mega Fun, "09/93" (DE; 1993-08-18), page 80
- ↑ MegaTech, "February 1993" (UK; 1993-01-20), page 22
- ↑ MegaTech, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-08-20), page 46
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "January 1993" (UK; 1992-12-28), page 18
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-07-30), page 34
- ↑ Megazone, "March 1994" (AU; 1994-02-23), page 38
- ↑ Play Time, "10/93" (DE; 1993-09-08), page 104
- ↑ Sega Magazin, "November/Dezember 1993" (DE; 1993-11-03), page 64
- ↑ Sega Power, "September 1993" (UK; 1993-08-05), page 38
- ↑ Sega Pro, "March 1993" (UK; 1993-02-11), page 38
- ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 67
- ↑ Sega Pro, "October 1993" (UK; 1993-09-09), page 74
- ↑ Sega Force Mega, "Autumn 1993" (UK; 1993-09-16), page 56
- ↑ Sega Force, "7/93" (SE; 1993-11-04), page 12
- ↑ Sega Mega Drive Review, "1" (RU; 1995-04-03), page 134
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Sonic the Comic, "21st August 1993" (UK; 1993-08-21), page 10
- ↑ Supergame, "Novembro 1992" (BR; 1992-11-xx), page 18
- ↑ Supergame, "Setembro 1993" (BR; 1993-09-xx), page 18
- ↑ Super Juegos, "Septiembre 1993" (ES; 1993-0x-xx), page 56
- ↑ Sonic Videogame & Fumetti, "Dicembre 1993" (IT; 1993-11-xx), page 24
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Septiembre 1993" (ES; 1993-0x-xx), page 64
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 163
- ↑ Video Games, "10/93" (DE; 1993-09-29), page 94
| Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master | |
|---|---|
|
Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Changelog | Hidden content | Development | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Region coding | Technical information
| |
| Games in the Shinobi Series | |
|---|---|
 |
Shinobi (1987) | Shadow Dancer (1989) |
 |
Shinobi (1988) | The Cyber Shinobi (1990) | Shadow Dancer (1991) |
       |
Shinobi (1989) |
|
The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) | Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (1990) | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (1993) |
 |
The GG Shinobi (1991) | The GG Shinobi II: The Silent Fury (1992) |
 |
Shinobi Legions (1995) |
 |
The Revenge of Shinobi (2002) |
 |
Shinobi (2002) | Nightshade (2003) |
 |
Shinobi 3D (2011) | 3D Shinobi III (2013) |
 |
Sega Ages Shinobi (2019) |
| Shinobi related media | |
 |
The Super Shinobi & Works (1989) | Shinobi Original Soundtrack (2002) | Legend of Joe Musashi: Shinobi Music Collection (2009) | Shinobi 3D Original Soundtrack (2012) | Kunoichi Original Soundtrack (2014) | Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (2015) | The Revenge of Shinobi (2016) | Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (2022) |
 |
Shinobi: The Fear Pavilion (1994) | Shin Shinobi Den Hisshou Kouryaku Hou (1995) | Prima's Official Strategy Guide: Shinobi (2002) | Shinobi: The Rise of Hotsuma (2002) | Shinobi: The Complete Guide (2002) | Kunoichi Koushiki Guide Book (2003) | Kunoichi Perfect Guide (2004) |
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