:Ninja Gaiden Shadow
{{Short description|1991 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Ninja Gaiden Shadow
|image = Image:Ninja Gaiden Shadow Coverart.png
|caption = North American cover art
|developer = Natsume Co., Ltd.
|publisher = Tecmo
|series = Ninja Gaiden
|composer = Hiroyuki Iwatsuki
|released = {{vgrelease|JP|December 13, 1991|NA|December 1991|EU|1992}}
|modes = Single-player
|platforms = Game Boy
}}
Ninja Gaiden Shadow, released in Japan as {{nihongo||忍者龍剣伝GB 摩天楼決戦|Ninja Ryūkenden GB: Matenrō Kessen|literally "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword GB: Skyscraper Showdown"|lead=yes}} and in Europe and Australia as Shadow Warriors, is a 1991 action-platform game developed by Natsume Co., Ltd. and published by Tecmo for the Game Boy. It is a prequel to the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy.
Plot
Set in a retro-futuristic version of 1985, three years before the events of the first Ninja Gaiden (NES), the player controls Ryu Hayabusa, who must save New York City from the forces of Emperor Garuda, a servant of Jaquio. Garuda's minions include the cyborg "Spider", kickboxer Gregory and his manager Jack, former military commander Colonel Allen, and the Japanese nobleman {{nihongo|Whokisai|風鬼斎|Fūkisai}}.
Gameplay
Image:Ninja Gaiden Shadow gameplay.jpg
Ninja Gaiden Shadow features simplified play mechanics compared to those used in the NES trilogy. In contrast to the variety of ninja arts and power-ups available in the NES games, Ryu only has a basic sword attack and a Fire Wheel attack that can be replenished for up to five uses. While Ryu cannot stick to or climb walls like in the NES games, he can hang onto railings and move underneath them like in Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, and use both his sword attack and the Fire Wheel art while hanging onto railings. Unique to this installment, Ryu is equipped with a grappling hook that allows him to latch onto hard-to-reach railings. Like in the NES versions, Ryu can find health potions, fire wheel stocks, and extra lives by destroying item containers.
Development
Ninja Gaiden Shadow was originally planned to be a Game Boy adaptation of the NES game Shadow of the Ninja.{{cite magazine|magazine=Nintendo Power |volume=28|page=67|date=September 1991|title=Game Boy Special Feature: Coming Soon|quote=Another (Game Boy title) to look for is Shadow of the Ninja, a Game Boy adaptation of the NES ninja thriller.}} The Nagoya division of Natsume, which developed Shadow of the Ninja, also developed Ninja Gaiden Shadow.
Reception
{{expand section|date=March 2023}}
{{Video game reviews
|ACE={{rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Ace_Magazine_Issue_54/page/84/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow|magazine=ACE|issue=54|date=March 1992|pages=85–86|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
|CVG=90/100{{cite magazine|last=Rand|first=Paul|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Go_Magazine_08/page/14/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow|magazine=Go!|issue=8|date=June 1992|pages=14–15|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
|GamePro=18/25{{cite magazine|author=Earth Angel|date=May 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_034_May_1992/page/n71/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow|magazine=GamePro|issue=34|page=70|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
|JP=87%{{cite magazine|last=Prezeau|first=O.|date=March 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/joypad-magazine-006/page/n125/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow|language=fr|magazine=Joypad|page=126|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
|VGCE=8/10{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/vgce_92-01/page/n93/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow|magazine=Video Games & Computer Entertainment|date=January 1992|issue=36|page=92|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
|VGS=62%{{cite magazine|last=Forster|first=Winnie|date=January 1992|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=8445|title=Ninja Shadow|magazine=Video Games|language=de|page=75|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
|rev1=Power Play
|rev1Score=65%{{cite magazine|url=https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=9509|title=Ninja Shadow|language=de|date=March 1992|magazine=Power Play|accessdate=August 16, 2021}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/ninja-gaiden-shadow|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow retro-review|date=2004-05-09|accessdate=2006-07-18|author=Parish, Jeremy|publisher=1up.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707061705/http://www.1up.com/reviews/ninja-gaiden-shadow|archive-date=2011-07-07|url-status=dead}}
- {{cite web|url=http://ninjagaiden.classicgaming.gamespy.com/ngshadow.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110185205/http://ninjagaiden.classicgaming.gamespy.com/ngshadow.html|archivedate=2008-01-10|title=Ninja Gaiden Shadow (Game Boy) at Ninja Gaiden Homepage |author=Nussbaum, Jeff |accessdate=2006-07-18|publisher=classicgaming.com}}
- {{cite web|url=http://review-site.net/developer/na.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225042028/http://review-site.net/developer/na.html|archivedate=2007-02-25|title=SIT Developer Table|accessdate=2007-10-14}}
- {{cite web|url=http://ryoshi.at.infoseek.co.jp/summereyes.html|title=ナツメ開発ゲームリスト|accessdate=2007-10-14|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406015638/http://ryoshi.at.infoseek.co.jp/summereyes.html|archivedate=2008-04-06}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/ninja-gaiden-shadow|name=Ninja Gaiden Shadow}}
- [http://www.snesmusic.org/pmh/view.php?id=327 Composer information for Ninja Gaiden Shadow] at Portable Music History
{{Ninja Gaiden series}}
Category:Retrofuturistic video games
Category:Side-scrolling video games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Video games developed in Japan
Category:Video games scored by Hiroyuki Iwatsuki