Kick-assassin: Shinobi | Segaiden 062

Sega delivers a convincing Master System conversion of one of its most striking arcade hits, tweaking the coin-op game's design in small ways that made for a more console-friendly experience. We've seen similar revisions made to previous Master System games, too, but the difference is that those games weren't Shinobi.

A fast-paced platform shooter, Shinobi saw Sega offering its own take on a burgeoning format of the time. It arrived a little later than most of the big breakout titles in the genre, but that just meant that Sega had time to learn from everyone else's missteps and deliver a nearly flawless take on the genre. It also underscores the company's most direct rivalry... no, not Nintendo.

Production notes:

Why watch when you can read? All 420 full-color pages of SG-1000 Works: Segaiden Vol. I are now in print at Limited Run Games (https://limitedrungames.com/collectio.... You can also grab the massive hardcover print editions of NES Works, Super NES Works, and Virtual Boy works as well. Look for NES Works Gaiden Vol. I and Master System Works Vol. I in 2024-25.

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Master System footage captured from U.S. carts running through a cart adapter on Japanese Master System hardware and MiSTer (thanks to MiSTerAddOns). Video upscaled to 4K with RetroTink 4K. RGB cables courtesy of StoneAgeGamer.com and Allie Bellrose.

Thanks to Diamond Feit for the live camera work!