<s>
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
produced	O
by	O
Sega	O
,	O
originally	O
released	O
for	O
arcades	B-Application
on	O
the	O
Sega	O
System	O
16	O
board	O
in	O
1987	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
ninja	B-Application
Joe	O
Musashi	O
,	O
to	O
stop	O
the	O
Zeed	O
terrorist	O
organization	O
from	O
kidnapping	O
students	O
of	O
his	O
clan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shinobi	B-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
in	O
arcades	B-Application
;	O
it	O
topped	O
the	O
monthly	O
Japanese	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
charts	O
in	O
December	O
1987	O
,	O
and	O
became	O
a	O
blockbuster	O
arcade	B-Application
hit	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
conversion	B-Application
kit	I-Application
of	I-Application
1988	I-Application
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
five	O
conversion	B-Application
kits	I-Application
of	I-Application
1989	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
adapted	O
by	O
Sega	O
to	O
its	O
Master	O
System	O
game	O
console	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
conversions	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
,	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
home	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
downloadable	O
emulated	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
joined	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
in	O
January	O
2020	O
through	O
the	O
Sega	O
Ages	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shinobis	B-Application
success	O
inspired	O
various	O
sequels	O
and	O
spin-offs	O
of	O
the	O
Shinobi	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
controls	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
consist	O
of	O
an	O
eight-way	O
joystick	O
and	O
three	O
action	O
buttons	O
for	O
attacking	O
,	O
jumping	O
,	O
and	O
using	O
ninjutsu	O
techniques	O
called	O
"	O
ninja	B-Application
magic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rescuing	O
certain	O
hostages	O
in	O
each	O
stage	O
will	O
grant	O
him	O
an	O
attack	O
upgrade	O
replacing	O
throwing	O
stars	O
with	O
a	O
gun	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
close-range	O
attack	O
becomes	O
a	O
katana	B-Operating_System
slash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Enemies	O
include	O
punks	O
,	O
mercenaries	O
,	O
ninjas	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
Mongolian	O
swordsmen	O
guarding	O
each	O
hostage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
bonus	O
round	O
has	O
a	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
of	O
throwing	O
shurikens	O
at	O
incoming	O
enemy	O
ninjas	B-Application
,	O
for	O
an	O
extra	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
ninja	B-Application
named	O
Joe	O
Musashi	O
must	O
stop	O
a	O
criminal	O
organization	O
called	O
Zeed	O
from	O
kidnapping	O
the	O
children	O
of	O
his	O
ninja	B-Application
clan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
converted	O
Shinobi	B-Application
to	O
its	O
Master	O
System	O
game	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Master	O
System	O
version	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
five	O
games	O
approved	O
from	O
the	O
deal	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
be	O
converted	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
never	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1989	O
,	O
conversions	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
were	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
,	O
Amstrad	B-Device
CPC	I-Device
,	O
and	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
IBM	B-Device
PC	I-Device
version	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Micromosaics	O
Inc	O
.	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
by	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
version	O
was	O
released	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Asmik	O
on	O
December	O
8	O
,	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
and	O
play	O
mechanics	O
of	O
the	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
version	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
's	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
close-range	O
attacks	O
and	O
power-ups	O
are	O
missing	O
and	O
there	O
are	O
extra	O
lives	O
for	O
points	O
instead	O
of	O
bonus	O
rounds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
version	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
was	O
released	O
by	O
Tengen	O
exclusively	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
as	O
an	O
unlicensed	O
release	O
in	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
was	O
published	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
's	O
Live	B-Device
Arcade	I-Device
services	O
,	O
with	O
slight	O
graphical	O
modifications	O
due	O
to	O
licensing	O
issues	O
over	O
one	O
character	O
's	O
resemblance	O
to	O
Spider-Man	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shinobi	B-Application
is	O
unlockable	O
in	O
Sonic	B-Application
's	I-Application
Ultimate	I-Application
Genesis	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
after	O
the	O
first	O
round	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Return	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
Master	I-Application
without	O
using	O
a	O
continue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Shinobi	B-Application
in	O
its	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
1987	O
,	O
issue	O
as	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
unit	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Shinobi	B-Application
became	O
a	O
blockbuster	O
hit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
became	O
America	O
's	O
highest-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
conversion	I-Application
kit	I-Application
of	I-Application
1988	I-Application
,	O
and	O
again	O
one	O
of	O
America	O
's	O
top	O
five	O
highest-grossing	O
conversion	B-Application
kits	I-Application
of	I-Application
1989	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Clare	O
Edgeley	O
of	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
noted	O
it	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
several	O
popular	O
"	O
martial	O
arts	O
simulation	O
"	O
games	O
at	O
London	O
's	O
Amusement	O
Trades	O
Exhibition	O
International	O
(	O
ATEI	O
)	O
show	O
in	O
January	O
1988	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Taito	O
's	O
Ninja	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
and	O
Data	O
East	O
's	O
Vigilante	B-Application
;	O
she	O
said	O
it	O
plays	O
similarly	O
to	O
Ninja	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
,	O
but	O
that	O
Shinobi	B-Application
also	O
has	O
elements	O
from	O
Namco	O
's	O
run	O
and	O
gun	O
video	O
game	O
Rolling	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
,	O
introduces	O
bonus	O
stages	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
more	O
challenging	O
overall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nick	O
Kelly	O
of	O
Commodore	O
User	O
rated	O
it	O
8	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
also	O
noting	O
similarities	O
to	O
Rolling	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
but	O
said	O
Shinobi	B-Application
looks	O
good	O
,	O
"	O
plays	O
brilliantly	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
combines	O
several	O
kinds	O
of	O
shoot'em	O
and	O
beat'em	B-Application
up	I-Application
action	O
in	O
one	O
well-thought-out	O
,	O
well-executed	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Sinclair	O
User	O
also	O
compared	O
it	O
to	O
Rolling	B-Application
Thunder	I-Application
and	O
other	O
martial	O
arts	O
games	O
,	O
but	O
considers	O
Shinobi	B-Application
"	O
sufficiently	O
different	O
to	O
be	O
familiar	O
without	O
being	O
boring.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospectively	O
,	O
Black	O
Belt	O
magazine	O
in	O
2003	O
called	O
Shinobi	B-Application
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
martial	O
arts	O
arcade	B-Application
games	O
of	O
the	O
1980s	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Classic	O
Game	O
Room	O
's	O
retrospective	O
review	O
reflected	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
classic	O
,	O
though	O
less	O
so	O
than	O
the	O
16-bit	O
sequel	O
The	B-Application
Revenge	I-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zach	O
Gass	O
of	O
Screen	O
Rant	O
included	O
Shinobi	B-Application
and	O
its	O
sequels	O
in	O
his	O
list	O
of	O
ten	O
"	O
awesome	O
"	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
games	O
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Den	O
of	O
Geek	O
,	O
"	O
Shinobi	B-Application
is	O
arguably	O
the	O
most	O
‘	O
important’	O
and	O
influential	O
ninja	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
kicking	O
off	O
the	O
genre	O
’s	O
longest	O
running	O
franchise.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1989	O
,	O
Sega	O
released	O
a	O
sequel	O
called	O
The	B-Application
Revenge	I-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
(	O
The	B-Application
Super	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
)	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
for	O
its	O
new	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive	I-Operating_System
game	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
arcade	B-Application
sequel	O
called	O
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
was	O
also	O
released	O
in	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
Dancer	I-Application
retains	O
the	O
original	O
gameplay	O
,	O
adding	O
a	O
canine	O
companion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
sequels	O
were	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
,	O
Mega	B-Operating_System
Drive/Genesis	I-Operating_System
,	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alex	B-Application
Kidd	I-Application
in	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
World	I-Application
is	O
a	O
parody	O
of	O
Shinobi	B-Application
starring	O
former	O
Sega	O
mascot	O
Alex	O
Kidd	O
,	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
in	O
1990	O
.	O
</s>
