Software:Ninja Gaiden Shadow

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Ninja Gaiden Shadow
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
North American cover art
Developer(s)Natsume Co., Ltd.
Publisher(s)Tecmo
Composer(s)Hiroyuki Iwatsuki
SeriesNinja Gaiden
Platform(s)Game Boy
Release
  • JP: December 13, 1991
  • NA: December 1991
  • EU: 1992
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Ninja Gaiden Shadow, released in Japan as Ninja Ryūkenden GB: Matenrō Kessen (Japanese: 忍者龍剣伝GB 摩天楼決戦, literally "Legend of the Ninja Dragon Sword GB: Skyscraper Showdown") and in Europe and Australia as Shadow Warriors, is a side-scrolling action game released for the Game Boy in 1991 by Tecmo. It is a prequel to the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy.

Plot

Set in a retro-futuristic version of 1985, three years before the events of the first Ninja Gaiden (NES), the player controls Ryu Hayabusa, who must save New York City from the forces of Emperor Garuda, a servant of Jaquio. Garuda's minions include the cyborg "Spider", kickboxer Gregory and his manager Jack, former military commander Colonel Allen, and the Japanese nobleman Whokisai (風鬼斎, Fūkisai).

Gameplay

Screenshot of the game's First Act

Ninja Gaiden Shadow features simplified play mechanics compared to those used in the NES trilogy. In contrast to the variety of ninja arts and power-ups available in the NES games, Ryu only has a basic sword attack and a Fire Wheel attack that can be replenished for up to five uses. While Ryu cannot stick to or climb walls like in the NES games, he can hang onto railings and move underneath them like in Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, and use both his sword attack and the Fire Wheel art while hanging onto railings. Unique to this installment, Ryu is equipped with a grappling hook that allows him to latch onto hard-to-reach railings. Like in the NES versions, Ryu can find health potions, fire wheel stocks, and extra lives by destroying item containers.

Development

Ninja Gaiden Shadow was originally planned to be a Game Boy adaptation of the NES game Shadow of the Ninja.[1] The Nagoya division of Natsume, which developed Shadow of the Ninja, also developed Ninja Gaiden Shadow.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
ACEStarStarStarStar[2]
CVG90/100[3]
GamePro18/25[4]
Joypad87%[5]
Video Games (DE)62%[7]
Power Play65%[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Game Boy Special Feature: Coming Soon". Nintendo Power 28: 67. September 1991. "Another (Game Boy title) to look for is Shadow of the Ninja, a Game Boy adaptation of the NES ninja thriller.". 
  2. ↑ "Ninja Gaiden Shadow". ACE (54): 85–86. March 1992. https://archive.org/details/Ace_Magazine_Issue_54/page/84/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  3. ↑ Rand, Paul (June 1992). "Ninja Gaiden Shadow". Go! (8): 14–15. https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Go_Magazine_08/page/14/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  4. ↑ Earth Angel (May 1992). "Ninja Gaiden Shadow". GamePro (34): 70. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_034_May_1992/page/n71/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  5. ↑ Prezeau, O. (March 1992). "Ninja Gaiden Shadow" (in fr). Joypad: 126. https://archive.org/details/joypad-magazine-006/page/n125/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  6. ↑ "Ninja Gaiden Shadow". Video Games & Computer Entertainment (36): 92. January 1992. https://archive.org/details/vgce_92-01/page/n93/mode/2up?q=%22Ninja+Gaiden+Shadow%22. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  7. ↑ Forster, Winnie (January 1992). "Ninja Shadow" (in de). Video Games: 75. https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=8445. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  8. ↑ "Ninja Shadow" (in de). Power Play. March 1992. https://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=9509. Retrieved August 16, 2021. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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