Shadow Dancer (1991)

Shadow Dancer on the Master System retains a lot of the arcade game's content, but simplifies the graphics and sound to better suit the hardware. Stage layouts are slightly different, and the decision to use sprites similar in size to the arcade version means that fewer enemies can appear on screen at any one time. Sprite flicker is a common sight, and entire sections of stages are removed to save space. Unlike the arcade version, players cannot backtrack during either side-scrolling or boss sections, limiting player to a very small section of the screen during the boss fights. The most striking omission in the Master System version of Shadow Dancer is the dog as an active character, but it is still available as a game mechanic. When a valid target is onscreen, the player must crouch. While crouched, the ninja magic icon will slowly transform into a a dog head. When the icon is completely full, it will move to the target enemy's location. Pressing attack will cause the dog to appear out of nowhere and attack the enemy. If no valid target exists, the icon will not move and pressing attack while crouched will perform a normal attack. The dog can be called only three times each stage. The Master System version retains the first-person shuriken-throwing bonus rounds, but the one between the second and third stage is the same bonus round used by the Mega Drive version, which makes player to jump from a tall building and attack ninjas in a downward shoot-'em-up fashion. Like the Master System version of Shinobi, ninja magic cannot be used during boss fights. In addition to the previously mentioned problem of being confined to a small section of the screen, this makes the boss fights even more difficult than the arcade version. A small oddity, in the Master System version, Shinobi always bows to the boss before the battle.

• Release Date: June 1, 1991
• Developer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.