Shinobi (1987 video game)
Shinobi (忍) is a side-scrolling hack and slash video game produced by Sega, originally released for arcades on the Sega System 16 board in 1987. The player controls ninja Joe Musashi, to stop the Zeed terrorist organization from kidnapping students of his clan.
| Shinobi | |
|---|---|
Arcade flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Sega AM1 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Yutaka Sugano |
| Composer(s) | Yasuhiro Kawakami |
| Series | Shinobi |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Master System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC, MSX, NES, PC Engine, ZX Spectrum, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Hack and slash, platform |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players alternating turns |
| Arcade system | Sega System 16 |
Shinobi was a commercial success in arcades; it topped the monthly Japanese table arcade charts in December 1987, and became a blockbuster arcade hit in the United States, where it was the highest-grossing conversion kit of 1988 and one of the top five conversion kits of 1989. It was adapted by Sega to its Master System game console, followed by conversions to the Nintendo Entertainment System, PC Engine, and home computers. It was re-released as downloadable emulated versions of the original arcade game for the Wii and Xbox 360. The arcade game joined the Nintendo Switch in January 2020 through the Sega Ages series. Shinobi's success inspired various sequels and spin-offs of the Shinobi series.