SHADOW DANCER

 SHADOW DANCER for the Sega Genesis is an excellent game that's the true sequel
to SHINOBI. Its only faults are evident from comparison to an earlier cart, THE
REVENGE OF SHINOBI (ROS): The games seem out of sequence. Although SHADOW DANCER
is not a short game (it has four rounds with three sections each, plus a bonus
round, and a five-part fifth round), it is not nearly as long as ROS. Also,
while the graphics are quite impressive, they are not as artistic or detailed as
in ROS.

 If you haven't played SHINOBI or ROS, they are martial arts games in which you
control a powerful character (Shinobi) who has various skills, such as the
ability to jump about ten feet high, throw morning stars at enemies, and even
summon magic to defeat foes. SHADOW DANCER adds a new element: Shinobi has a
dog. This well-animated pooch injects extra strategy into the game. Usually,
when an enemy is nearby, the dog crouches and barks like mad. At your command,
the dog will rush the victim and pin him until you can take him out with a
well-placed kick or star. The strategy comes from the fact that some enemies are
only vulnerable to the dog at certain times, and some can damage him for a short
time. Also, the dog never kills any enemies for you, he just immobilizes them
until you can get them. This is especially helpful against enemies who shoot.

 It is clear upon close inspection that the graphics are somewhat more complex
in SHADOW DANCER than in ROS. While many levels of ROS have parallax scrolling
(two independently scrolling layers), some of the backgrounds in SHADOW DANCER
have more than two layers or backgrounds that are interwoven (a new effect in
Genesis games, first seen in THUNDER FORCE III). Also, there are extra new
effects, including earthquakes that cause the ground to split open, and a huge
helicopter that makes a strafing run on you. Despite this, ROS in comparison is
more impressive, with a wider variety of scenes, superior use of color, and much
better music. While there are several outstanding screens (e.g., on the bridge
with moving water -- a very good three-dimensional effect -- and on a scaffold
on the Statue of Liberty), these do not surpass the better ROS screens, such as
the fight against Spiderman, the battle on top of a moving train, the freeway,
or the dinosaur boss.

 This is not to say that SHADOW DANCER is not an excellent game. It is: In fact,
it's one of the _best_ Genesis games. One of its better features is the variety
of difficulty levels. There are three, and the game can also be made more
difficult by taking away the throwing stars. SHADOW DANCER is actually one of
the hardest Genesis games (even on the easiest level), but it is addictive and
fun at any level. It takes many, many tries on each level to make it through
without getting shot or stabbed.

 Nevertheless, ROS is really a worthier game, mostly because it is longer and
more diverse. For people who only buy a few games a year, there probably won't
be room on their shelf for SHADOW DANCER: It's just too similar to ROS, without
being better. For players who really loved ROS, or who buy more than a few games
a year, SHADOW DANCER is definitely worth owning. There are several new or
different features, and it's more difficult. Personally, I prefer it to other
recent games, including STRIDER.

 SHADOW DANCER is published and distributed by Sega.

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