This classic side scroller, despite being almost impossible to finish without cheating, is an awesome ride. You are Ryu, a shinobi warrior tasked - in true retro-gaming style - with rescuing a female from the evil clutches of a villain with big hair (literally, he even uses it as a weapon!). Along the way you'll venture across dangerous highways, junkyards, assorted buildings and the single most confusing final level/maze in gaming history. Seriously, you'll be lost forever. Ryu has plenty of moves in his arsenal, including the ability to throw shurikens, jump and throw several shurikens at once and even has special moves such as a shield and the must-have for any shinobi, the sacrifice-your-own-life-and-blow-into-little-pieces move. Perhaps the most memorable thing about Shinobi itself is the blatant disregard the game had for copyright. During your adventure you'll find yourself fighting what appears to be Godzilla, possibly the Terminator and you'll even fight Spiderman (who will then transform magically into Batman halfway through the fight). More games surely need this.
Dan Curtis is approximately one-half videogame knowledge, and the other half inexplicable Geordie accent. He's also one quarter of the Factory Sealed Retro Gaming podcast.
