<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
,	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
as	O
and	O
later	O
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
Australia	O
as	O
Blue	B-Application
Shadow	I-Application
,	O
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
action	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Natsume	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
(	O
NES	O
)	O
in	O
1990	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
revolves	O
around	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
ninja	B-Application
sent	O
to	O
assassinate	O
a	O
dictator	O
in	O
a	O
futuristic	O
version	O
of	O
New	O
York	O
City	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
port	O
was	O
planned	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
but	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
a	O
rebranded	O
form	O
as	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
stop	O
Garuda	O
and	O
avenge	O
the	O
innocent	O
lives	O
that	O
were	O
lost	O
in	O
his	O
reign	O
,	O
two	O
ninja	B-Application
masters	O
from	O
the	O
Iga	O
clan	O
,	O
Lord	O
Hayate	O
and	O
Lady	O
Kaede	O
,	O
are	O
sent	O
to	O
infiltrate	O
the	O
dictator	O
's	O
well-guarded	O
stronghold	O
and	O
kill	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
platform	O
game	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
by	O
up	O
to	O
two	O
players	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
with	O
one	O
player	O
controlling	O
Hayate	O
(	O
a	O
ninja	B-Application
in	O
purple	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
as	O
Kaede	O
(	O
a	O
kunoichi	B-Application
in	O
orange	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
's	O
default	O
weapon	O
is	O
a	O
katana	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
traded	O
for	O
a	O
kusarigama	O
and	O
vice	O
versa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
kusarigama	O
has	O
a	O
longer	O
range	O
than	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
and	O
can	O
be	O
swung	O
upwards	O
diagonally	O
and	O
horizontally	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
only	O
damage	O
enemies	O
from	O
a	O
specific	O
distance	O
and	O
does	O
not	O
work	O
as	O
well	O
at	O
close	O
range	O
like	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
also	O
obtain	O
throwable	O
shuriken	O
and	O
hand	O
grenades	O
as	O
well	O
,	O
both	O
which	O
can	O
only	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
supply	O
lasts	O
before	O
the	O
player	O
reverts	O
to	O
using	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
or	O
kusarigama	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
consists	O
of	O
five	O
levels	O
with	O
(	O
that	O
-	O
3X4	O
+2	O
equals	O
14	O
not	O
16	O
)	O
stages	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
four	O
levels	O
being	O
divided	O
into	O
three	O
stages	O
and	O
the	O
final	O
level	O
into	O
two	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
a	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
title	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
in	O
2010	O
,	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
and	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
in	O
2015	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
via	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
Online	I-Application
service	O
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Natsume	O
began	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
version	O
following	O
the	O
NES	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
publishing	O
rights	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
picked	O
up	O
by	O
Tecmo	O
and	O
the	O
title	O
was	O
subsequently	O
revised	O
as	O
a	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
1991	O
spin-off	O
Ninja	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
also	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Nagoya	O
division	O
of	O
Natsume	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
was	O
well	O
received	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Greatest	O
Hits	O
"	O
special	O
issue	O
GamePro	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
near-perfect	O
score	O
of	O
23/25	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
an	O
above	O
average	O
ninja	B-Application
fare	O
with	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
line	O
graphics	O
and	O
fast-paced	O
gameplay	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
top	O
flight	O
,	O
fast-paced	O
action	O
cart	B-Protocol
,	O
"	O
while	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
in	O
particular	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
superb	O
"	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
gave	O
it	O
a	O
more	O
reserved	O
total	O
rating	O
of	O
74%	O
,	O
but	O
added	O
that	O
"	O
if	O
this	O
is	O
the	O
kind	O
of	O
game	O
you	O
're	O
into	O
,	O
you	O
wo	O
n't	O
find	O
a	O
better	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
for	O
your	O
NES	O
this	O
side	O
of	O
Low	O
G	O
Man.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
featured	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
1991	O
article	O
"	O
Weird	O
Heroes	O
"	O
for	O
supposedly	O
featuring	O
the	O
"	O
first	O
male-and-female	O
team	O
"	O
in	O
video	O
game	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Matt	O
Allen	O
from	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
and	O
Jeremy	O
Parish	O
from	O
USgamer	O
were	O
more	O
critical	O
in	O
their	O
reviews	O
of	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
release	O
,	O
awarding	O
it	O
six	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
and	O
three	O
stars	O
out	O
five	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lucas	O
M	O
.	O
Thomas	O
from	O
IGN	O
rated	O
the	O
VC	O
release	O
7.0/10	O
,	O
opining	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
not	O
quite	O
as	O
smooth	O
or	O
memorable	O
as	O
Gaiden	B-Application
,	O
and	O
it	O
'll	O
frustrate	O
you	O
a	O
few	O
times	O
as	O
only	O
an	O
NES	O
action	O
game	O
could	O
--	O
but	O
its	O
unique	O
qualities	O
,	O
like	O
two-player	O
co-op	O
support	O
,	O
compensate	O
well	O
for	O
any	O
of	O
its	O
shortcomings.	O
"	O
</s>
