Let’s Compare The classic ( Shinobi ) Series

Description Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinobi_%28series%29

Shinobi (忍?) is a series of video games published by Sega and developed primarily by Overworks. The name Shinobi is used as a code-name throughout the series to hide the true identity of its bearer. It has been adopted by various characters, most prominently Joe Musashi, the protagonist of the original series of games (Shinobi — Shinobi III).

Along with Alex Kidd and Sonic the Hedgehog, the Shinobi ninja has long been one of Sega’s flagship characters, acting as a mascot for a short time in the late 1980s when the ninja boom was in full force. Its games are a showcase of Sega’s technical accomplishment. Today the games are still noted for their high quality of graphics, gameplay and music, as well as their high level of difficulty.

Shinobi debuted in 1987, in the arcade title Shinobi, and has since featured in eleven other official Shinobi titles and one spin-off game. Nightshade (“Kunoichi” in Japan) is currently the last game in line.

The role of “Shinobi” is most commonly associated with that of Joe Musashi, the protagonist of the original arcade game and many of its sequels. His name is a combination of both an archetypical western first name and Japanese last name, Musashi likely being derived from the legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. In the manual of The Revenge of Shinobi, Musashi’s backstory is told as that of a weak boy who first entered the dojo of the Oboro clan at a young age and gradually, through tireless practice and meditation, worked himself up to become the most skilled and respected ninja of his clan.

His peaceful existence in the mountains of Japan is shattered when the totalitarian crime syndicate Neo Zeed rises to power and threatens to take over the world. The Oboro clan is hunted down by Zeed’s minions, his master assassinated and his girlfriend Naoko taken hostage. Musashi swears revenge, and in the ensuing battles, as chronicled in The Revenge of Shinobi, all but annihilates Neo Zeed. When Neo Zeed returns in Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master the ninja comes out of retirement one final time and destroys the crime organization for good.

In the Japanese Shadow Dancer plot, Musashi’s title is passed down to his son Hayate, who now assumes the Shinobi identity and battle the Union Lizard syndicate. The English localization of the Mega Drive version, however, identifies the character as being Joe Musashi himself rather than his son.

Shinobi Legions, however, presents an entirely different plotline. The titular shinobi is now played by Sho, the youngest of two brothers raised by a lone ninja master. The elder brother becomes corrupted and abducts the master’s daughter in search of the ultimate ninjitsu technique, and Sho has to prevent him from destroying the world. Neither Joe Musashi nor the Oboro clan are mentioned.

Following a seven year hiatus in the series, the lead archetype returns in Shinobi for PlayStation 2 as Hotsuma, another member of the Oboro clan. In a similar theme to Shinobi Legions, the game starts with Hotsuma slaying his elder brother Moritsune during a full moon Oboro ritual. The main plot revolves around Hotsuma’s battle with a powerful sorcerer called Hiruko. The game also featured Joe Musashi as a hidden character, as well as Moritsune himself (who appears in the game’s storyline as an enemy named Aomizuchi).

In a complete break with tradition, Nightshade featured a female shinobi named Hibana. Hotsuma himself appears as a hidden character, though it requires a completed Shinobi PS2 game save on the memory card to unlock him. Joe Musashi also returns as he did in the PS2 Shinobi by completing 88 missions in the game.

It should be noted that story-wise, there is little continuity between games, and it is debatable as to what has to be interpreted as canon to the series. It is more traditional for Shinobi games to start the plotline from scratch and introduce new characters in the ninja role.