Shinobi Series - Part 7

The GG Shinobi (1991)
By: Sega Genre: Platform/Fighting Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Featured Version: Sega Game Gear First Day Score: 000,000
Also Available For: Nothing
Download For: 3DS Virtual Console

This great, now-celebrated series was only four games old but it had already started looking as though it was heading downhill. The original game and the MegaDrive sequel were both widely acclaimed (with good reason) but Shadow Dancer (both versions) less so, and Cyber Shinobi, the series' only Master System exclusive, was not well received at all. The next title would need to be a corker or Musashi-san might be heading for the gaming retirement home. Luckily for keen assassins such as myself and no doubt many of you, it looked as though the title in question might restore Joe's crown as gaming's top ninja! In an effort to push their shiny new handheld, Sega made the game an exclusive for it. Known simply (and slightly confusingly) as 'Shinobi' outside Japan, fans always refer to it these days by it's Japanese title - The GG Shinobi - and here's a look at it.

Sega Game Gear A-Z

It didn't take long for Sega to jump on the handheld bandwagon, and their effort was pretty much a balance between the Game Boy and Lynx. A lot of its games were Master System conversions, but it also received a decent amount of original titles, especially in its native Japan. Here I will be looking at them all:

K is for...

Kaitou Saint Tail by Sega (1996)

Like many GG games, this one is based on a manga/anime series and was only released in Japan. It's therefore not super-easy to follow but is basically a collection of mini-games (tile-matching, etc) set around an overworld town/field. Probably one for fans or collectors only. The presentation is nice though.

Game Gear Games #3

Fantasy Zone Gear (1991)
By: Sanritsu / Sega  Genre: Shooting  Players: 1  Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Featured Version: Sega Game Gear  First Day Score: 42,400
Also Available For: Nothing

Sega's Game Gear was a pretty decent little (or perhaps not so little) machine but it wasn't blessed with too many exclusive releases. In the last GG post I looked at one type of exclusive - a completely unique game that can't be found anywhere else. Another is this kind - a sequel or update to an existing franchise. In this case it's a franchise that was already represented in most Sega domains but would the small and intricate nature of their garish shooter series suit a system like the GG? The Fantasy Zone games are seemingly loved and hated in equal measure but I'm definitely in the former camp so I was very eager to find out, especially since it's a whole new entry in the series rather than a port of an existing game which, as hinted at by the sub-title - The Adventures of Opa-Opa Jr. - actually features Opa-Opa's son!

Game Gear Games #2

Magical Puzzle Popils (1992)
By: MTJ / Tengen Genre: Platform / Puzzle Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Sega Game Gear
Also Available For: Nothing

Of all the hand-helds released in the wake of the Game Boy's monstrous onslaught, none were particularly successful but I think you'd have to say the most successful one was Sega's effort. However, although slightly superior to the Master System from a technical point of view, games released on it were mostly ports of titles on Sega's older console. Exclusives were much rarer but there were a few, and one of them was this unusual puzzle game which, curiously, arrived courtesy of the usually-multi-format publisher, Tengen. As is often the case with puzzle games, they've seen fit to incorporate a story of sorts which really doesn't make an awful lot of sense, but it doesn't hurt to try I suppose! The nameless boy whose actions you direct, you see, recently met a beautiful princess and they fell in love. No sooner had that happened, however, then the jealous Wizard of Forest Popil kidnapped her and trapped her in his labyrinth!

Golf Games #3

Putt & Putter (1991)
By: SIMS / Sega Genre: Sports Players: 1-2 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Sega Game Gear
Also Available For: Master System
Download For: Wii Virtual Console

Considering how little variety there is in the actual sport, it's surprising how many different kinds of golf games there are. As regular readers here will know, my favourite kind are the cartoony Japanese ones that started appearing around the early 90's, partly because they can be played at a non-sleep inducing pace, but also because their creators are generally much more inventive with their design. Another kind of golf game that could tick both of those boxes is the kind based on mini, or 'crazy' golf. In fact, given the nature of the game, it would be fairly easy to make these games among the most creative of all sports games. The first one I ever played was this little-known title which was one of the few games I had for my Game Gear. I remember getting a lot enjoyment out of it back then but how kind has time been to it in the fifteen years or so since I last played it?

Bat 'n' Ball Games #2

Woody Pop (1991)
By: Sega  Genre: Bat 'n' Ball  Players: 1  Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Sega Game Gear  First Day Score: 65,210
Also Available For: Master System

Nintendo's Game Boy was a instant success from the moment it was launched thanks to the wonders of its bundled game, Tetris, which was perfectly suited to the little white slab o' fun. When Sega released the Game Gear, it was not. Is this because it wasn't released with any games that were perfectly suited to it? In an attempt to determine this I took a look at one launch title recently, and here I'll have a look at another. Perhaps released to show up Nintendo's own bat 'n' ball game, Alleyway, which accompanied the Game Boy's launch, Sega's effort immediately demonstrated the main advantage the Gear Gear held over its rival - colour graphics! Indeed, much like Breakout, Arkanoid, and pretty much every other game of its type, Woody Pop features many different coloured bricks. Colour alone doesn't make a game though, so what else does it have to catch ones eye?

Game Gear Games #1

Halley Wars (1991)
By: Taito  Genre: Shooting  Players: 1  Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Sega Game Gear  First Day Score: 32,310
Also Available For: Famicom Disk System

Any geeks around my age probably remember the last appearance of Halley's Comet well. It was 1986 and the arrival of this celestial wonder in our skies was met with much fanfare and merriment, and with good reason - it was quite a sight. Fast forward a few hundred years, however, and its return on this occasion brings with it a rather unwelcome surprise. The armies of the conveniently-named Lord Halley are using the famous old comet as cover to launch an attack on the free peoples of Earth! I expect that raised a smile, but unlike most shmups (near enough every one ever released, in fact) this seemingly nonsensical premise does actually serve a purpose in the game, and it's a pretty darn good idea too!