Shinobi

Each of the game's five missions consists of three or four levels. In each level, several hostages are being held captive; Joe must rescue them all before he can complete the level. The final level of each mission does not feature any hostages, but instead a powerful boss that Joe must defeat. After completing each of the first four missions, you enter a bonus round where you can earn an extra life if you manage to defeat all the ninjas that jump at you. The game ends upon completion of the fifth mission. Additionally, no continues are allowed starting from the fifth mission; the player must finish the game with whatever lives remain at that point. If the player makes it onto the high score list, the number of credits required to achieve that score is displayed alongside their score. Joe’s standard weapons are an unlimited supply of shurikens, as well as punches and kicks for close-range attacks. Rescuing one hostage per level grants him a power-up. In power-up mode, his shurikens are replaced by a pistol that fires large, explosive bullets, and his melee attack becomes a katana slash. Joe can also use “Ninja Magic,” which can be used only once per level and kills (or, in the case of bosses, wounds) all enemies on the screen. The game also allows enemies to hide behind crates or use shields to deflect Musashi’s shurikens.[4] Joe can be killed with a single hit if struck by a projectile or a melee attack, but if he is not in such situations, the player can touch normal enemies and will simply be knocked back without taking damage. Since most enemies appear in the same spot in every level, it is possible to master the game by memorizing their positions and developing strategies to defeat them. At the end of each level, the player receives point bonuses based on their performance. If the player completes the level without using ninja magic or without using throwing stars or balls, they receive a point bonus. The player has three minutes to complete each level; the remaining time at the end of the level is also converted into bonus points and added to the player’s score.