The Revenge of Shinobi - Sega Genesis Review

A tale of love, revenge, and how to bring home proper arcade action.

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Opening "Sega" jingle is from Astal for the Sega Saturn.

Ending Music during the credits is from Batman for the Sega Genesis.

SLX Logo
By: Jan Neves

Intro by Evan S.

Episode Notes:

1. There is an infinite shuriken code for this. If you find it difficult, use that until you are better familiar with the enemy patterns.

2. Captured on the Mega SG.

3. This was also released in the arcade(UK) on Sega's Mega-Tech board.

4. I played through this twice for this capture. Having not played this all the way through for 2 years, I don't mind telling you it punished me the first session on normal with no cheats. I still beat it, but I spat out all my lives and ate a ton of damage doing it. By the end, my timing was back, and I was doing a lot better. It still showed me that it has a great challenge curve.

5. You can play this a great many ways today. It's on the Genesis compilations and it is on Nintendo's Switch Online service.

[MrInuhanyou]

Revenge of shinobi and shinobi 3 are some of the best experiences in gaming.

[radioactivechimp]

As a kid, I got this on the Sega Classics collection for my Sega CD. It was awesome to have Revenge of Shinobi, Streets of rage, and Golden Axe on one disc. (Sorry, Columns)

[matthewdavenport]

It is very difficult to explain how absolutely mindblowing it was as a fifteen-year-old 10th grader to see the display console in the window of the local Gaming Store at our mall showing a runthrough of Revenge of Shinobi. I saved $220...$200 for the Genesis (bundled with "Altered Beast") and $20 for the extra controller...and my parents bought Revenge of Shinobi for me as a Christmas gift. The 16-bit capability was exponentially better than the 8-bit NES and Sega Master System my friends and I had been stuck with. This was like bringing the arcade home.

This game is still not only one of my favorites, but a nostalgic piece of my past, a magic that is unrecapturable.

[LowTensionSocialClub]

One of the greatest game soundtracks of all time, even got a vinyl release a few years back

[GhaleonEB]

My dad was debating between getting a Genesis or a TG-16. He saw a demo of this in person and went with the Genesis on sight. We were coming from the Sega Master System. Pretty glad he made the right choice, this game is incredible and I grew up a Sega kid. Still am, really.

As an aside, I'm currently playing Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness. Yuzo Koshiro is still making bangers.

[jsttv]

When I was in college back in the mid 1990’s. I had a music class, and my professor asked us to do a presentation on any music composer of our choice. I chose Yuzo Koshiro, and demonstrated both Streets of Rage 2 and the Revenge of Shinobi in class. I got an A on both the presentation and for the course.

[JamesNGames]

I still find myself drawn back to this beloved game. Whether it's for a quick nostalgic fix or a deeper dive into the immersive world, The Revenge of Shinobi has become a timeless reminder of the joy and excitement gaming can bring. It's a personal experience that has shaped my appreciation for the artistry and storytelling found within video games, and it's one that I hold close to my heart.

[jamesburchill]

I really enjoyed "Ninja games" from this period. 16 bit was 100% the right time and place for the genre.

[kennethd]

This was one of the first games I played on the Genesis. I got the Model 2 in 1994 on my 6th birthday and besides the pack in game of Sonic 2… I got to rent a game for the weekend and I chose Shinobi!

[zaszasur]

Shinobi 3 and Shadow Dancer were amazing sequels, but there's something about Revenge of Shinobi that hits the mark. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, but like you said there's something magicall about this installment. The locations, the enemies, music, graphics the challenge. I need to plat this again ASAP. Great review and subscribed!

[jasonmonster]

This is still one of my favorite games of all-time. Great graphics, amazing music and impeccable design make this one just as playable and enjoyable today as it was when it was first released. A timeless classic that I never get tired of.

[Des_Zee]

Just like Sega Lord X, this was the game that made me a proud Genesis owner. A timeless classic that should be on every Genesis/Mega Drive best-of list. That soundtrack still slaps today.

[EAprima]

I'd love to see a 2.5D remaster of this game and Shinobi III combined into one arc. That water stage would have no excuse but to look incredible and fierce. Photo realistic mapping captures would make the game look surreal under the tools we have these days.

[DownandOutNYC]

The US got the 1.0 release originally as well. I clearly remember playing this as a kid and seeing all those pop culture icons in game. Rambo, Terminator, Spiderman, Batman, Godzilla, they were all there in the US release. I never even knew they were later changed and the "controversy" behind why they changed till well over a decade later when I booted up a rom of it in a emulator and saw those changes.

[MrMartellSincere]

I remembered playing this game on my Sega Genesis via 6-pak. Shinobi is a great classic of a game

[Sammspade]

Very special memories of this one for me. It was my first ever experience of the Sega Mega Drive. From the moment the music played and the title screen showed Joe "blocking" two shurikens, I was blown away.

[nc]

Still one of the most underrated channels for retro gaming and factual info- you should be much more appreciated in the YouTube community- I cherish all your videos- please DONT STOP MAKING THIS GREAT CONTENT

[Laserdreamz]

Boss music never got better than Terrible Beat. One of the most memorable games in history!

[ManiakFlame]

This was the ONLY game I ever beat that my oldest brother could never finish, so it's a 10/10 for me, yo. Lol

I'm honestly shocked that you haven't reviewed this one yet. Some people hate it, but it'll always have a place in my heart.

[brandonbentley]

The original version had Spiderman and Godzilla. I had that one on cartridge.

Then I got the Sega CD Classic Collection. They had stripped Godzilla down to a skeleton and turned Spiderman black which kinda made him look like Venom, it was still cool.