Shadow Dancer (1989 video game)
| Shadow Dancer | |
|---|---|
North American promotional flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Motoshige Hokoyama |
| Series | Shinobi |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Master System, ZX Spectrum |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Platform, hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega System 18 |
Shadow Dancer is a 1989 platform game developed and published by Sega for arcades. It was the first game developed for the Sega System 18 arcade board hardware and is a sequel to Shinobi (1987). The player controls a mysterious ninja as he, aided by his attack dog, attempt to take out a terrorist organization. The player goes about this by using ninjutsu abilities and their dog to defeat enemies as well as collecting bombs that must be obtained in order to clear a level.
Upon release, Shadow Dancer received positive reception from critics, who praised the game’s soundtrack, graphics and gameplay but noted that it was derivative of previous titles starring ninja protagonists. The game later received ports for home computers and the Master System. A loose adaptation, titled Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi, was released for the Sega Genesis in 1990.