3D Shinobi III Return of the Ninja Master

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, released in Japan as The Super Shinobi II, is a 1993 hack-and-slash platform game developed and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. It is the direct sequel to the previous The Revenge of Shinobi. The game was intended to be released in 1992 and to be very different from the final version of the game in terms of levels and storyline. Shinobi III received critical acclaim. It’s been ranked among the greatest Mega Drive/Genesis games.

It was also released for the Wii’s Virtual Console service in 2007, for the PC on the download service Steam in 2010, on the iPhone in 2011 and for the Nintendo 3DS eShop in 2013. Neo Zeed is threatening the world once more. The evil crime syndicate – thought to have been vanquished two years earlier – has returned, headed by a man known only as the Shadow Master. Joe Musashi has felt their presence, and descends from the lonely mountaintops of Japan to face his nemesis once more.

Compared to its predecessor, the action is considerably smoother, with less emphasis on difficulty and more on speed. In addition to the ability to run from place to place, the player character comes equipped with a new array of moves and techniques, including a mid-air dashkick, the ability to jump-scale walls and a powerful running slash that renders him temporarily invincible to projectiles. Besides his regular assortment of moves and attacks, the player has the ability to perform four special ninjitsu techniques.

Only one can be used in each level, unless the Shinobi finds additional ninjitsu bonuses throughout hidden spots in most levels. The four ninjitsu techniques involve engulfing lightning as a temporary shield, summon fire-dragons, boosting his vertical leap and self-sacrificing, the latter costing one life to destroy common enemies or damage bosses.