Shadow Dancer (1991). Play online

Summary

Shadow Dancer on the Sega Master System feels like a trimmed‑down twin of the arcade original. Because the hardware can’t handle the large sprites, the game chops down stage layouts and strips away whole sections, which leads to noticeable sprite flicker and only a handful of enemies on screen. The ninja can’t backtrack, so side‑scrollers and boss rooms are confined to a tight slice of the level, and ninja magic is disabled during those boss fights, making them tougher.

The canine sidekick is no longer a roaming partner; instead you crouch to fill a magic icon that turns into a dog head. Once full, a summoned dog appears on a chosen enemy, but you only get three summons per stage. Collecting all five time bombs in a mission upgrades the weapon for the next boss. Each mission ends with a short boss duel and is followed by a bonus round – the early ones are classic first‑person shuriken throws, while the second‑stage bonus drops you from a skyscraper in a downward shoot‑’em‑up. An odd quirk: the ninja bows to every boss before the fight.

Storyline

Shadow Dancer follows a young ninja and his loyal pet dog as they take on a ruthless terrorist organization terrorizing the city. The syndicate has planted time‑bombs all over the metropolis, threatening countless lives. Determined to stop the chaos, the ninja and his canine sidekick scour the streets, locating and defusing each explosive. Their mission culminates in a showdown where they annihilate the evil gang behind the bomb plot. The game blends fast‑paced platform action with the unique partnership of hero and dog, delivering a classic retro experience.