Shadow Dancer (1989 video game)

The player controls a ninja aided by an attack dog, who is fighting to save the city from a terrorist organization.

A loose adaptation titled Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi was released exclusively for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1990.

Between each mission, there is a bonus stage minigame seen from the character's perspective as he tosses shuriken at enemy ninjas dropping down from a building.

In the center of the city, a group of terrorists are committing every imaginable atrocity known to man, including the planting of time bombs throughout the metropolis.

Our youthful hero and his canine companion courageously set out to gather all the explosives placed by the evil gang and annihilate the syndicate that manipulates them.

[10] Following its debut as an arcade game in 1989, Shadow Dancer was released on various home computer formats in Europe in 1991.

Versions released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum were published by U.S. Gold and developed by Images.

In Japan, Game Machine listed it on their January 1, 1990 issue as being the fourth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.

[17] GamePro praised the arcade game as "a slick-looking ninja quest with excellent 3-D backgrounds, jumpin' animation, and top-notch audio.

The One criticised the "annoying" lack of checkpoints in levels, and expresses that foreground sprites blend in with the game's backgrounds, "thus making the action a touch confusing".

The One also praised the dog companion feature, stating that it "adds a novel strategic twist" to Shadow Dancer's gameplay.