Shadow Dancer
Shadow Dancer is a 1989 arcade action-platformer and spiritual successor to Shinobi. Players control a modern-day ninja accompanied by a white wolf companion through five urban stages filled with enemies. The game introduced a canine partner that attacks on command and a unique 'stealth kill' mechanic where players can eliminate unaware enemies with a single shuriken.
Game Controls
About This Retro Game
Developed by Sega's AM1 division, Shadow Dancer runs on the Sega System 18 hardware, allowing for smoother animations and parallax scrolling compared to the original Shinobi.
Introduces a wolf companion named Yamato that can be commanded to attack enemies with the dedicated 'Dog Attack' button. The wolf automatically defends against projectiles when not attacking.
Features a risk-reward scoring system: stealth kills grant bonus points but leave the player vulnerable during the animation. Chain kills multiply the score.
Includes a memorable 'train hijacking' stage where players fight atop moving subway cars, later referenced in other Sega titles like Streets of Rage 2.
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