The Revenge of Shinobi was released on the 2nd of December, 1989. It was one of the earliest titles available for the SEGA Genesis, and the key difference between it and the majority of other Genesis games available at the time was that it didn't suck -not only did have great graphics and sound, but it was also actually enjoyable to play. The game is a sequel to Shinobi, an arcade game which SEGA released in 1987. You play as Joe Musashi, a master ninja who must fight through the ranks of the Neo Zeed organization, in an attempt to rescue Naoko, Joe's bride.

Revenge of Shinobi plays very differently to the previous game, as you no longer have to rescue hostages. Levels are larger, and you can choose which ninjitsu you want to use. The ninjitsu techniques were expanded upon, offering more than just destroying everything on the screen -with the Fushin technique, Joe will move faster and jump further, for example. Joe now has a health bar, rather than the one hit and you're dead feature of Shinobi. The other major difference between Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi is the shurikens Joe uses. In Shinobi, he has an infinite supply of them, but in this game, they are limited.

Out of all the early Genesis games, The Revenge of Shinobi was clearly the best, and has aged well. The only flaws I have is the annoying labyrinth section of the last round, and the somersault jump -it just doesn't seem to work sometimes. Other than that, The Revenge of Shinobi is a must-have title for any Genesis owner.