Game entry
Shinobi
1987 · Beat 'em up, Action-adventure, Arcade · DOS, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amiga, PC Engine, Arcade, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC · Asmik Corporation
Shinobi holds position no. 3,883 in the world ranking on GameForever, with 1,411 ELO points and 36% of duels won out of 85 played. Of the 3 duels that pitted it against X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it has won 3 and lost 0. In its strongest family it holds position no. 21 out of 27 (1987).
World rank
no. 3,883
ELO score
1,411
Wins
36%
Duels played
85
About Shinobi
The five missions in the game are each three or four stages long. Several hostages are being held in each stage; Joe must rescue all of them before he is allowed to finish the stage. The last stage in each mission has no hostages, but instead features a powerful boss character whom Joe must defeat. After completing each of the first four missions the player is taken to a bonus stage, where he can earn an extra life if he is able to kill all of the ninjas leaping towards him. Completing the fifth mission ends the game. Also, once the fifth mission begins, continues are no longer allowed; the player has to finish the game with however many lives he has left at that point. If the player earns a place on the high score board, the number of credits it took him to get that score is displayed along with his score.
Joe's standard weapons are an unlimited supply of shuriken, along with punches and kicks when attacking at close range. One hostage per stage gives him a power-up. When powered-up, his throwing stars are replaced by a gun that fires large, explosive bullets, and his close-range attack becomes a katana slash. Joe can also perform "ninja magic," which may be used only once per stage and kills (or damages, in the case of bosses) all enemies on the screen. The game also allows the enemies to hide behind boxes or use shields to block Musashi's shurikens.[4]
Joe can be killed with one hit, provided he is hit by a projectile or melee attack, but if he does not find himself in those situations, the player can touch regular enemies and just be pushed back without being damaged. Since most enemies appear in the same place on each level, it is possible to master the game by memorizing their locations and devising patterns to defeat them.
At the end of each stage, the player receives score bonuses based on performance. Completing the stage without using ninja magic or without using any throwing stars or bullets earns the player a point bonus. The player has three minutes to complete each stage; remaining time at the end of the stage is also converted to bonus points and added to the player's score.
ELO progression
Score moved from 1,500 to 1,411 ELO points over the last 170 days.
Head-to-head
Direct record on the most played match-ups.
- against X-Men Origins: Wolverine 100% 3 duels played · 23 points ahead
- against Marvel's Spider-Man 33% 3 duels played · 378 points behind
- against Bayonetta 2 0% 2 duels played · 173 points behind
- against Dark Souls III 0% 2 duels played · 493 points behind
- against Tekken 4 50% 2 duels played · 91 points behind
In the same genre
All Beat 'em up games →Keep exploring
Around this spot
The games Shinobi sits between in the world ranking.
More games from Asmik Corporation
Released in 1987
The standing
Where Shinobi ranks
The world rank mixes every family of games. Here is where Shinobi stands in each of the ones it belongs to. Its best standing, all families considered: 21 out of 27 (1987).
| Ranking | Position | Games competing |
|---|---|---|
| World ranking | 3,883 | 5,035 |
| Beat 'em up | 123 | 163 |
| 1980s | 115 | 155 |
| 1987 | 21 | 27 |
The community
The debate
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