Shadow Dancer for Genesis
Review #4502
Shadow Dancer
Rescue them hostages
Gameplay
Had this as a hack n slash but switched to gun since the proper way to play is with shurikens which are a defacto gun.
You automatically use a sword slash when close to an enemy.
Some enemies hop around and attack from above where you can't hit them. Everything is a one-hit kill so you have to get them quickly to survive.
Bumping an enemy doesn't deal damage. Love that.
Two-planes gameplay similar to Rolling Thunder and so many other Shinobi clones.
Responsive controls, although once you've jumped you're committed.
Slow movement, but not offensive.
Punishing difficulty. You have to memorize the stages to get far.
You sometimes have a dog companion which can be powered up Mega Man X-style but it rarely works and seems to have no practical use.
Level Design
Good design which plays to the strength of the combat system. It's mostly a series of platforms and obstacles but they're designed in such a way that you could tackle them in the intended route or you can be a bit creative by outflanking an enemy or skipping them altogether.
Some levels require you to rescue all hostages before proceeding while others just end when you reach the exit. I appreciate the variety.
Some memorable stages like the Statue of Liberty elevator climb.
Theme
You're a ninja! Basically you're Snake-Eyes with your trusty dog. Good stuff.
Art Style
Nice sprites, backgrounds, animation, and effects. Some nice parallax scrolling and distinct use of colors and background between levels. Still, it's mostly dark colors so it's not as vibrant as something like TMNT IV or Gunstar Heroes.
Audio
Most music is exciting and fun but man the bonus stage music is atrocious. It's a beat with a couple of guys saying "yo" and "back".
The music reminds me a bit of TMNT IV but played on a Genesis sound chip. It's good but doesn't fit with the setting and theme of serious-looking ninjas.
Sounds are excellent, such as the clank of your sword, grunts of you and your enemies, the bark of your dog, and the shnkt of throwing a shuriken and the end-level fanfare.
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