<s>
,	O
also	O
known	O
simply	O
as	O
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
in	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
re-released	O
via	O
emulation	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
in	O
2010	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
also	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
version	O
of	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
Collection	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
a	O
further	O
re-release	O
came	O
with	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
Classics	O
(	O
released	O
as	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Mega	I-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
Classics	O
in	O
PAL	O
regions	O
)	O
eight	O
years	O
later	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
Linux	O
,	O
macOS	O
,	O
PlayStation	O
4	O
,	O
Xbox	O
One	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
Switch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Shinobi	B-Application
series	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
,	O
following	O
The	B-Application
Revenge	I-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
a	O
continuation	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
rather	O
a	O
loose	O
adaptation	O
of	O
the	O
1989	O
arcade	O
game	O
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Secret	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
was	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
play	O
mechanics	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
main	O
difference	O
being	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
meter	O
for	O
the	O
dog	O
that	O
accompanies	O
the	O
protagonist	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
objective	O
of	O
each	O
stage	O
is	O
also	O
slightly	O
changed	O
from	O
retrieving	O
time	O
bombs	O
to	O
rescuing	O
hostages	O
,	O
much	O
like	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Shinobi	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Japanese	O
manual	O
identifies	O
him	O
as	O
,	O
son	O
of	O
Joe	O
Musashi	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Shinobi	B-Application
series	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
English	O
language	O
manual	O
identifies	O
him	O
as	O
Joe	O
Musashi	O
himself	O
coming	O
out	O
of	O
retirement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Secret	I-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
was	O
very	O
well	O
received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
Joystiq	O
called	O
The	O
Secret	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
"	O
the	O
most	O
awesome	O
release	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
entire	O
Shinobi	B-Application
franchise	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
answers	O
the	O
question	O
of	O
what	O
could	O
possibly	O
be	O
cooler	O
than	O
a	O
ninja	O
stalking	O
around	O
a	O
gritty	O
urban	O
landscape	O
:	O
that	O
ninja	O
's	O
dog	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
review	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
in	O
2010	O
,	O
"	O
this	O
title	O
comes	O
highly	O
recommended	O
to	O
all	O
ninja	O
fans	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
declared	O
"	O
this	O
magnificent	O
console	O
offering	O
"	O
to	O
be	O
superior	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
due	O
to	O
"	O
far	O
better	O
bosses	O
and	O
a	O
greatly	O
improved	O
difficulty	O
level	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
"	O
far	O
more	O
responsive	O
"	O
control	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
,	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
considered	O
it	O
inferior	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
arcade	O
game	O
and	O
Revenge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1992	O
,	O
Mega	O
placed	O
it	O
at	O
#33	O
in	O
their	O
ranking	O
of	O
top	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
