arcade shinobi vs console shinobi

[voltz]

Now considering that there's a different gameplay style between the two, I thought we'd see what are preferences are. So let me post a list...

Arcade Shinobi

shinobi

THE GAME THAT STARTED IT ALL! It was classic run and gun (or shrunken for that matter) where you are supposed to kill terrorists and rescure ninja hostages. The element that made this great was the fact you could die in ONE HIT! So you have to be sharp of wits and do what you can to survive or many a quarter would be served playing this gem.

Shadow Dancer

This continued the same gameplay style of the original with the addition of a white wolf to aid you in your missions by grabbing enemies for a short period of time allowing you to strike at points when you cannot get through a tight spot when magic or ninja skills is needed. Quite a good game, but it's console port was different, but is a great game on it's own standing.


Console shinobi (genesis/megadrive/saturn/playstation)

Revenge of shinobi

This is where our ninja continues his mission to destroy the Evil ZEED with a bit of a difference then it's arcade bretheren, as the game changes options like having a life bar and a shrunken limit. Also changed was the pace at which he now double-jumps to reach high platforms and hard to reach places. The pace is slower and less intense, but it's developement makes for a good game overall.

Shinobi 3

Once again fighting the ZEED empire, shinobi graces the genesis with new moves like the running dash and climbing overhead in what is more of the same from revenge, only on a bigger scale. And there's Running levels to boot!

Shin Shinobi Din

One of the most interesting things with this shinobi was the use of digitalized graphics that were inspired by games such as mortal kombat. The action was classic genesis shinobi with more to the playing field (I think).

Shinobi playstation

This is perhaps the biggest change of the series. Using a new ninja (Joe's not here) and adding elements such as open field play, dashing, walljumping/running and the now well mentioned "TATE" skill, you can kill enemies in successive groups with a possesed sword that grows more powerful as you kill all the bad-guys around you. It's a unique game in it's own right, but to some it's repetitive, so it's taken itself many ways with people just as the other shinobi before it.

Now you have a choice. Fire away!

[NeoZeedeater]

My name will tell you what I picked.

[sggg]

I vote "console".

My preference, in order:

1, PS2-style Shinobi
2, Genesis-style Shinobi (I've never played the Saturn game)
3, Arcade-style Shinobi

It's all good though.

[Captain Vegetable]

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
My name will tell you what I picked.

That's something I've always wondered...what the Hell is a "Zeed?"

[NeoZeedeater]

I don't know if the word means anything but Zeed is the name of the kabuki boss in Revenge and Shinobi 3. His organization in those games is called Neo Zeed. Revenge mentions Musashi defeating Zeed in the first game although there's no actual mention of Zeed in the original Shinobi.

[gameoverDude]

I like the console ones best, specifically the Genesis games. All are good however.

Revenge of Shinobi brought in then-new techniques like the shuriken shower. The shurikens are lethal, unlike the PS2 3D version where they merely stun enemies.

Shinobi 3 is the series at its best. Although it may be a bit lower in challenge than Revenge, there are yet more new techniques like the dropkick and wall bounce. The graphics are enhanced almost to the point where it looks arcade quality.

Shin Shinobi Den on the Saturn isn't quite as good. The digitized graphics are decent, but the control feels slightly off.

[Wilykat]

Even though the original arcade Shinobi is extremely derivative of Rolling Thunder, it still ranks as one of my favorites in the series. Shinobi III for the Genesis as well. It's a tough choice.

The only Shinobi games I didn't dig were Shadow Dancer and Cyber Shinobi.

[Johnny Undaunted]

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
I don't know if the word means anything but Zeed is the name of the kabuki boss in Revenge and Shinobi 3. His organization in those games is called Neo Zeed. Revenge mentions Musashi defeating Zeed in the first game although there's no actual mention of Zeed in the original Shinobi.

Actually, Zeed was the name of the organization in the original game (sans the Neo part) and not the main bad guy in the Super Shinobi. In the US documentations, they just changed their name to the "Ring of Five" or something as stupid as that, but in Japan it was always Zeed.

It was a nice touch that they made the main guy in Shadow Dancer, Musashi's son (Hayate), but that got lost in the translation.

I'm always been more partial to the Arcade Shinobi titles (although, I don't get why Sega made the Genesis "ports" of Shadow Dancer and Moonwalker different from their Arcade versions), but the Super Shinobi series wasn't so bad and the new Shinobi is one of the better PS2 games out there. I can't wait for Kunoichi.

What is the general consesus behind Shinobi Legions?

[NeoZeedeater]

Where did it mention the name Zeed in the Japanese version of the original Shinobi? In the arcade ending or the Mark III instruction book?

Legions is pretty good. I would put it in my top ten Saturn games. It was disappointing after 3 but it's still a solid entry in the series in the style of the Genesis games.

[Johnny Undaunted]

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
Where did it mention the name Zeed in the Japanese version of the original Shinobi? In the arcade ending or the Mark III instruction book?

In the instruction manual (and I believe in one of the Arcade flyers).