Shadow Dancer
Arcade
As a kid, I enjoyed playing Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi on my Sega Genesis. I did not know that the game was based on an arcade game that was simply titled: Shadow Dancer. I never once encountered this arcade cabinet out in the wild, and I went to a lot of arcades when I was young.
When I reviewed the Genesis version about four years ago, I gave the game an A-. I found it very fun to play, and I couldn't help myself from repeatedly coming back to it for more. It was around this time that I discovered there was also an arcade version of the game, which was supposedly very different from the Genesis version. I made up my mind as soon as I discovered this: I was going to play that arcade version someday. I didn't know when that day would come, but it would be someday.
And that someday has finally arrived. Keep reading for my full thoughts on this game.
Story:
Absolutely nothing is explained in this game. When the arcade cabinet is in demo mode, it shows a wolf look at the camera and begin barking. And then it says "Shadow Dancer" with fire in the background. And then it shows you a little bit of gameplay. And then it begins to loop.
Once you fire the game up, there are no additional story sequences. You are just thrown into the fire with very brief level descriptions like: "Obstruct the enemy's deadly mission!" That's no help. What it all boils down to is that the game's story (if there even is one) does not matter, in any way whatsoever.
Gameplay:
This is now the fourth Shinobi game I have played, behind the original Shinobi, Shadow Dancer for the Genesis, and The Revenge of Shinobi. It definitely feels different from the other games in the series. It almost feels more like Rolling Thunder than Shinobi. It's weird.
Put in a coin and you are given three lives. Action takes place from a side-scrolling perspective. You walk forward, flinging shurikens at your foes. You have one screen clearing magic attack per life, just like the original Shinobi. You can leap up onto balconies, and leap back down again. It reminds me a lot of Rolling Thunder when you jump up and down between levels. The jumping is like Rolling Thunder. The whole "crouching behind boxes" element is like Rolling Thunder. The whole game just has a very Rolling Thunder-esque vibe that I don't remember the other Shinobi games having.
*edit: I just went back and read my old Shinobi review and in that review, I compared the gameplay to Rolling Thunder. So I guess the parallels have always been there.
Each stage contains a stack of bombs that you have to collect. Once you've found them all, the level exit opens up. Don't worry, you don't have to look to hard to find them. These bombs aren't very well-hidden and you often find them directly on your path as you are making your way to the level exit. You can pick up the occasional power up which gives you added damage to your shurikens.
I'd be remiss if I did not mention your canine companion. I was not quite sure how to use him at first, as his actions seemed a bit random. I learned that ducking and hitting the shoot button makes the dog run up to the nearest enemy in your sight and attack him. This doesn't kill your opponent, but "ties him up" as he struggles with the dog. You can swoop in for the kill, but you have to do it quickly because if you don't, the dog will take damage and you won't be able to use it for a while.
Aside from the dog, the thing that stands out about this game the most is the difficulty. One hit kills you. Even Ghosts 'n Goblins lets you get hit twice. And there are no checkpoints, so when you die, you have to start at the beginning of the stage again. There are some extremely challenging areas with tough jumps, or enemies swarming you left and right (or both). There is nothing more disheartening than playing through 3/4 of a stage, dying, and then having to go back to the beginning of the stage again. That's going to happen you all the freaking time in this game.
Luckily, I was playing with save states and I was able to "micromanage" my way through the game. Even then, I still had a tough time. There were some areas where I had to reload my save state about 25 times, trying to make it through a particular area. Can you imagine having to pump in all those quarters, and start each of those stages from the beginning again? It not only would have cost a fortune, it would have taken a very long time - if I was able to do it at all. There were some areas where I was like "without save states, this would almost be impossible."
There are four stages in total, each filled with three or four levels. Each one ends with a boss fight. These boss fights are fairly fun, but frustrating just like the rest of the game. I have no freaking idea how you're supposed to beat the final boss without save states. Even using them to save the game after landing one blow on the enemy and retreating, it took me forever to beat the game. You have to be an expert level player to be able to beat this game legitimately.
With enough time and enough patience, I might have been able to turn into one of those kinds of players. Unfortunately, I just don't have that luxury.
Graphics:
This is a good looking game, especially when you consider that it came out in 1989. I couldn't help but be impressed by some of the backgrounds. The characters and animation look really good, too. They could have really ruined the game if they had made the dog look and move stupid, but they nailed it. Bosses are big and creative looking, too.
I wouldn't say this is a visually amazing game or anything, but it definitely nails the vibe it's going for.
Sound:
I played this game for about two hours last night, at the very least. I beat it. I started a new game. I beat it again. And keep in mind that this was just last night.
I don't remember a single thing about the game's music or sound effects. Nothing. Take that as you may.
Overall:
I want to give this game more love than I am about to give it. It looks good. It has a lot of fun ideas. It is entertaining to play. But? It's too damn tough.
Just being tough isn't necessarily a bad thing, but this game just goes way overboard. I was only able to have as enjoyable a time as I did because of save states. If I did not have them, this would have been an absolutely agonizing affair. I'm one of those people that won't review a game until I've beaten it. I can just see myself sitting there, cursing up a storm and throwing my controller trying to beat this game "honestly." I would have fucking hated it.
Luckily, I played the game in a manner in which I was able to enjoy it. But therein lies my dilemma. Do I grade this game based around the fact that I was able to manipulate my progress through save states, or do I grade it based on how the game is intended to be played? That's where I am struggling a bit here - because they would almost be two different grades depending on the playstyle. So let's do this: I'll grade them individually per playstyle, and then use an average of the two grades to make my final grade.
With save states: a fun, entertaining, and challenging game that offers some replay value. I'd give it a B.
Without save states: an initially fun game that quickly becomes too challenging to derive enjoyment from. Beating the game would be an absolute chore, and I'd probably hate myself when I was done with the game. I'd give it a D.
So what's the average between a B and a D? A surprisingly fitting score, I must say. I reserve Cs for games that I am completely "meh" on. Don't like it, don't hate it. It's right in the middle. And that's kind of the way I feel now, after writing this review. I feel like a C is a good score for how I feel about the game. So a C it shall be.
Hope you enjoyed this review. I'll be coming at you soon with another one, as I creep closer to my 600th game review. See you then!
THE GRADE:
C
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