Shadow Dancer

Shadow Dancer is a side-scrolling action game released by Sega as a coin-operated video game in 1989. It is the arcade sequel to the original Shinobi. The player takes the role of a ninja who must thwart a terrorist plot with the help of his canine companion. A heavily altered Mega Drive version was also released in 1991, titled Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

Gameplay
The player takes control of a ninja who must thwart a terrorist plot to plant time bombs in various parts of a city. The game has four rounds, with the first round consisting of three stages and the remaining rounds of four stages each, for a total of 15 stages. The first few stages of each round has the player collecting the time bombs that are being guarded by the terrorists. In order to complete these stages, the player must collect all the time bombs and then reach the exit at the end. The player will then confront a boss at the final stage of each round. Between rounds the player will participate in bonus rounds where the player must shoot at ninjas falling from a building from their character's point of view.

The play controls and rules are identical to the original Shinobi. The player can shoot shurikens, jump between higher or lower levels, walk while crouching, and even perform a ninja art. Like in the original Shinobi, the main character's attacks become stronger as he disarms bombs throughout each stage. The main addition to the game mechanics is the companion dog accompanying the main character. By holding the shoot button and then releasing it, the dog will bite the nearest enemy, allowing the player to attack him while he's vulnerable. However, if the player takes to long to attack the enemy while their companion dog is attacking, the enemy will harm the dog and he will turn into a small harmless pup for a limited period. The player is allowed to continue at any round after losing all their lives. If the player continues, their character will receive an additional ninja art.