Lost Classics: Shinobi 3 (Sega Genesis)

Ever since its arcade debut, Shinobi stood alongside Ninja Gaiden (and to some extent Strider) as the king of video gaming ninjas, and the series only got better on the Genesis. Shinobi 3 was the follow up to the awesome Shadow Dancer, and it really pushed the envelope on the Sega Genesis, as it’s visuals were so awesome that you’d think you were playing an SNES game. There isn’t much of a plot (the big evil organization is back, and our hero is back out to stop it) then again who needs one? You basically make your way through several stages kicking ass. Sometimes you ride on horseback, and you’ll battle everything from Ninjas, to soldiers, to bio-engineered freaks. You have your throwing knives, sword, and ninja magic to help you. It’s one of the finest examples of 2D action on the Genesis, and one of the finest games of the 16-bit era. It’s available on the Sonic Mega Collection disc for Xbox 360 and PS3, the Sega Genesis Collection on the PS2 and PSP, and the Wii Virtual Console.