Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, also known as The Super Shinobi II in Japan, is an action game developed and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis console that was released in 1993. It is the direct sequel of the 1989 game The Revenge of Shinobi. Many regard it as the best game of the Shinobi series, due to its high quality visuals and fast, varied gameplay. The game was originally intended to be released in 1992, and to be very different from the final version of the game in terms of levels and storyline. The game was included on the Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was also released for the Wii]] Virtual Console in 2007.

Storyline
Neo Zeed is threatening the world once more. The evil crime syndicate - thought to have been vanquished 2 years earlier - has returned, headed by a man known only as the Shadow Master. Joe Musashi has felt their presence, and descends from the lonely mountaintops of Japan to face his arch-nemesis once more. He is the Shinobi, stronger than steel and faster than a whirlwind, the last keeper of the Oboro Ninjitsu techniques. Only he can stop Neo Zeed.

Gameplay
Compared to its predecessor The Revenge of Shinobi, the action in Shinobi 3 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 an additional bonus is picked up from defeating difficult enemy bosses throughout hidden spots in the level. 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 Samurai dinosaur, 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.

Development History
Shinobi 3 was originally set to be released in 1992. Several gaming magazines (including GamePro, Mean Machines SEGA and Computer & Video Games) gave previews and even reviews of the game, showing pictures of levels, enemies, artwork and special moves which were not seen in the final version at all. Because of being unsatisfied with the result, Sega had put the game back into development to heavily improve it and delayed its release until 1993. When Shinobi 3 was finally released, a lot of game features seen earlier were missing, while new ones had come in place. A beta-version of the original version of the game has been leaked and is now widely available as a ROM image.