PSP World

Worth Your Points? Shinobi on Virtual Console

This week Nintendo is releasing a classic side-scrolling beat'em-up from the golden age of arcade gaming, which might be worth your 800 Wii Points if you enjoy occasionally flipping out and killing people. Sega's Shinobi originally came out in arcades in 1987, and was quickly ported to the Master System and a number of other platforms. This version is the original Arcade board, which means that it is punishingly hard but performs the way purists would want it.

For you history buffs, the game gets its name from a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The skills of Shinobi included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations. The underhanded tactics of these ninjas were contrasted with the samurai, who were careful not to tarnish their reputable image.

The game's story features hero Joe Musashi, who has to stop a criminal organization called the "Zeed" who are kidnapping the children of the Oboro clan. Through five missions of increasing difficulty, Musashi must make his way to Zeed's headquarters and free all the hostages before confronting Zeed's leaders in a series of boss fights. Luckily, Shinobi Joe has access to unlimited shiruken throwing stars as well as his own fists, which are powerful weapons in themselves.

Because of its very high difficulty, we can't recommend this Virtual Console download to any but the hardest core retro gamers. Kids will become quickly frustrated with the one-hit kill mechanic and the demanding boss fights (if they even make it that far). But for those who love a challenge nearly as much as they love Ninjas, this might be the perfect game for you.

Shinobi is available for download on the Wii now and is rated E for Everyone. Wonder which other Virtual Console releases are worth your points? Check out the official Virtual Console thread on our Nintendo forums.

Kicking butt and rescuing hostages in Sega's Shinobi (1987).