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Shinobi Legions

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Shinobi Legions
North American cover art
Developer(s)Sega, Tose Software [citation needed]
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)
Composer(s)
SeriesShinobi
Platform(s)Sega Saturn
Release
Genre(s)Platform, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Shinobi Legions[a], known in Europe as Shinobi X, is a 1995 hack and slash platform game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. The player controls the ninja Sho on his quest to prevent his brother Kazuma from finding and using an ultimate ninjitsu technique that could end the world.

The game sees players go through a series of side-scrolling platforming stages, each containing numerous enemies and obstacles that the player must contend with, helpful optional power-ups such as life-ups and temporary abilities that help the player progress and a boss battle, which the player finds at the end of a level and then must defeat. The gameplay is largely retained from prior Shinobi games, however there is a higher emphasis on the usage of a katana for offense and defense against enemies and full-motion video cutscenes are used in the game to progress the ongoing plot.

The game has received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the game's digitized sprite graphics and new defensive moves, but criticism for the FMV cut scenes and lack of any major gameplay changes from previous entries of the series.

Gameplay

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Shinobi Legions is a 2-D side-scrolling hack and slash platform game in which the player controls Sho, the ninja protagonist of the game. The game has largely similar gameplay to previous games in the Shinobi series - The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) and Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master - but also introduces new elements. As well as shurikens, which are secondary ranged weapons, the players primary weapon in the game is a katana, which can be used by the player either as a offensive tool for a close-range attack or as a defensive tool for blocking enemy projectiles. Power-ups can be found scattered throughout levels or defeated enemies which, when obtained, gives the player a temporary boost to either health or offense, such as how yellow and red orbs can regain lost hit points. Alongside power-ups, the player can also obtain permanent health upgrades by picking up enough blue orbs.

The majority of gameplay takes place in 2-D linear levels, containing various obstacles and enemies that must be traversed to progress. At the end of a level, a boss battle will take place. The player is given a number of lives, which are lost if Sho loses all his available hit points or falls in a pit and the game ends when the player runs out of lives, although the player can continue from their most recent stage. Occasionally, such as after completing a level, a FMV cut scene will play as a way of bridging levels and advancing the games plot.

Plot

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Years of civil war have brought the ninjutsu code and its warriors to the brink of extinction. A ninjutsu master selects three children to carry on the ninja traditions for the next generation: two brothers, Kazuma and Sho, and his own daughter Aya. He begins to train them.

Fifteen years pass. The oldest boy, Kazuma, begins to reject all the ninjutsu teachings, save for the technique of strength. Obsessed with power, Kazuma demands that the master teach him the ultimate technique. The master refuses, and Kazuma vows to return one day and take revenge. Sho and Aya continue their studies and master the ninjutsu teachings.

Kazuma returns with an army and the resources to build a fortress. Although the old master has died, his pupils contain the secrets of the ultimate technique. Kazuma sets up a trap to lure Sho into his hideout, and kidnaps Aya to use her as a bait.

In the ending, Kazuma sacrifices himself to save Aya and Sho from an explosion.

Development And Release

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European cover art for Shinobi X, a renamed release of Shinobi Legions

Shinobi Legions was first announced in June 1994 during the Tokyo Toy Show.[4]

The European release of Shinobi Legions was published by Sega Europe and renamed as Shinobi X. Shinobi X was delayed release due to Sega Europe's producer, David Nulty, reportedly disliking the original music score and wanting it changed for the European release,[5] in a similar way Sega of America did years before with the North American release of Sonic CD. The in-game tracks were replaced with music from British video game composer Richard Jacques, however the cutscene music tracks were left intact. Jacques composed the soundtrack in imitation of the style of Yuzo Koshiro's soundtrack from The Revenge of Shinobi (1989).[5]

The North American release retained the same soundtrack as the Japanese version, however the game was published by Vic Tokai instead of Sega.

In all releases of the game, the only people listed in the in-game credits are those who were involved with the live-action FMV cutscenes, leaving the developers of the game to be unknown.

Reception

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On release, Famicom Tsūshin scored the game a 26 out of 40.[7] GamePro gave it a rave review, stating that "If you've been sitting on the fence regarding a Sega Saturn purchase, here's a swift shuriken in the butt to get you moving." They particularly praised the new defensive moves and greater variety of enemies compared to previous Shinobi games. They also felt that the digitized sprite-based graphics were a refreshing change from the polygon-based graphics used in most Saturn games.[1] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly likewise praised the new defensive moves and "fluid" graphics. They had varying reactions to the FMV cutscenes, and two of the reviewers felt the game lacked the "feel" of earlier Shinobi games, but all four agreed that the game was both visually impressive and fun to play.[6] A critic for Next Generation, while remarking that the game made no real advance in gameplay over its last generation predecessors, argued that it also maintains the standard of excellent gameplay set by those predecessors, and that the greater sophistication in the graphics would likely be enough to appease fans of the Shinobi series.[8] Sega Saturn Magazine said that it plays well but fails to make any real use of the Saturn's capabilities, calling it "another Shinobi game that somehow managed to find its way on to CD instead of cartridge." They suggested that the "tacky" FMV scenes were added simply as an excuse to release the game on the Saturn instead of the Sega Genesis.[10] A reviewer for Maximum described it as "a disappointment" compared to the earlier Shinobi games, but did not provide any specifics.[9]

Notes

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  1. ^ Known in Japan as New Shinobi Legend (Japanese: 新・忍伝, Hepburn: Shin Shinobi Den)

References

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  1. ^ a b "ProReview: Shinobi Legions". GamePro. No. 85. IDG. October 1995. p. 48.
  2. ^ [セガハード大百科] セガサターン対応ソフトウェア（セガ発売）. Sega. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  3. ^ "File:ShinobiMusicCollection CD JP Booklet.pdf". Sega Retro. 2022-12-15. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
  4. ^ "Sega's Saturn: 32-Bit Intensity". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 61. Ziff Davis. August 1994. pp. 50–52.
  5. ^ a b Jacques, Richard (June 3, 2000). "Gaming Age Specials -- Interview with Richard Jacques". Gaming Age Online (transcript). Interviewed by Gavin Matheson. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Review Crew: Shinobi Legions". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 74. Ziff Davis. September 1995. p. 36.
  7. ^ a b NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: 新・忍伝. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.342. Pg.32. 7 July 1995.
  8. ^ a b "Shin Shinobi Den". Next Generation (10). Imagine Media: 111. October 1995.
  9. ^ a b "Maximum Reviews: Shinobi-X" (PDF). Maximum: The Video Game Magazine (2). Emap International Limited: 145. November 1995.
  10. ^ a b "Review: Shinbobi X". Sega Saturn Magazine (1). Emap International Limited: 96. November 1995.
  11. ^ "Electric Playground Game Reviews: Shinobi Legions". Archived from the original on 1997-06-19.
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