Shinobi III: Return of The Ninja Master - Gameplay

Gameplay

Compared to its predecessor The Revenge of Shinobi, the action in Shinobi III is considerably smoother, with less emphasis on difficulty and more on speed. In addition to the ability to run from place to place, Joe 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.

Besides his regular assortment of moves and attacks, Shinobi has the ability to perform four special ninjitsu techniques. Only one can be used in each level, unless the Shinobi finds additional ninjitsu bonus(es) throughout hidden spot(s) in most levels. The four ninjitsu techniques employed by Joe Musashi 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.

• Round 1: Zeed's Resurrection: Joe Musashi descends from his training grounds in the mountains after he learns that the syndicate Neo-Zeed has emerged with a vengeance from the criminal underworld; he battles waves of assassins and a huge mutated Samurai armed with a spear and swords through the forests and caves of Japan.

• Round 2: Secret Entry: Musashi races on horseback through the meadows as a storm gathers and Neo-Zeed's assassins descend from kites to attempt their kills, including a ferociously agile Ninja in orange with a large supply of spears — the Shadow Dancer. The conspiracy is revealed to be much larger and dangerous than expected as Musashi reaches a huge high-tech facility, neutralizing Neo-Zeed's machine gun-armed soldiers and encountering a levitating robot armed with bullets, bombs, lasers, and reality-warping trickery — the first brain-powered jet-piloting supercomputer's successor.

• Round 3: Body Weapon: The facility houses a morbid biological weapons laboratory, where Musashi must fight off mutated brains and muscular ooze, descending into the sewers where he faces off against one of Neo-Zeed's most horrible weapons: the hulking and hideous Hydra.

• Round 4: Destruction: Musashi reaches a great river near his home, where Neo-Zeed has constructed a huge factory specializing in robotic weaponry. He surfs across the river fighting off hordes of Neo-Zeed's Ninjas, who are riding on huge, hovering futuristic vehicles. On the river, he confronts humanoid robots armed to the teeth with lasers and machine guns.

• Round 5: Electric Demon: Upon crossing the river, Musashi arrives at another heavily guarded weapons facility in the forest. It is as if he has descended into hell, as he fights the military guerrillas amidst a burning inferno that has engulfed the forest. Seeking justice and shelter in the facility, Musashi ascends into the top floors and confronts a hulking, fire-breathing, robotic dinosaur (Who resembles Mechagodzilla (Perhaps an allusion to the Godzilla battle in Revenge of Shinobi), one working prototype of a planned army of these beasts.

• Round 6: Traps: Musashi descends into a gorge, fighting to stay alive by killing bloodthirsty assassins and seeking what little safety there is on falling rocks. After fighting a mystical humanoid hawk, Musashi reaches the lair of Neo-Zeed's top echelon: a mist-shrouded pagoda. He avoids several lethal traps and twisting passages to meet his old foe, the Ninja Master.

• Round 7: The Final Confrontation: Despite defeating the Ninja Master in a violent battle, there is one final nail to pound into the coffin of Neo-Zeed. Musashi ascends into the sky on Neo-Zeed's massive air fortress where his most formidable enemy awaits his arrival: his fighting abilities are equal to Musashi's, and his weapons wield unprecedented power. He is the Shadow Master.