The many different versions of the Revenge of Shinobi

o1s1n

I don't know if you folks are aware, but there are four different versions of The Revenge of Shinobi. Each new revision had a boss taken out/edited due to copywrite issues.

This makes the first version (1.00) quite sought after.

There is one catch however - there is absolutely no difference between the box art or cases of all the versions - The only way to find out is to actually play the game!

Was going to write a list out myself but found it was already done on wikipedia -

wikipedia wrote:

* Software revision 1.00 (1989): Bosses clearly resembling The Terminator (The Hulk when nearly defeated), Godzilla, Spider-Man, and Batman are present. Both Spider-Man and Batman are actually fake representations of themselves conducted by someone able to morph into his shape when enough damage is inflicted.

* Software revision 1.01 (1989): Batman is replaced by a bat-like mutant, but The Terminator/Hulk, Godzilla, and Spider-Man remain unmodified, the latter still morphing into the bat-like creature when defeated. Enemy soldiers with flamethrowers are also changed to bald men with headbands away from their original likeness to Rambo.

* Software revision 1.02 (1990): The fake Spider-Man is now redesigned into the licensed character from Marvel Comics, acknowledged by a copyright notice (Sega was also developing The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin at the time). Since he is now the real Spider-Man, he doesn't morph into a bat-like shape and actually leaves the battle when enough damage is inflicted, with a separate bat-like mutant entering to replace him. The Terminator/Hulk and Godzilla still remain intact.

* Software revision 1.03 (1990): Godzilla is replaced by a skeletal dinosaur. Everything else remains intact from the previous revision, including the licensed use of Spider-Man. The Terminator/Hulk was still the same and he has never been affected by copyright issues because of resemblances with the real characters. This version was used in the Genesis 6-Pak cartridge.The Hulk may have not changed because of Sega having the Spider-man license.

So if you have a copy of The Revenge of Shinobi, boot it up and see if you get lucky! (This only includes actual copies of the game, those multi 3 in 1 packs it features on all have revised versions)

Retr0gamer

Interesting, only thought there were 2 versions, one with batman and the other without batman.

o1s1n

I always remember when I was a kid the Terminator/Hulk ones really stood out as 'That can't be allowed..?'. Although I grew up playing Software revision 1.02 so had no Batman

Would love to get my hands on a 1.00 but there's no other way than buying loads of copies of the game and crossing your fingers.

Not even sure if there are many 1.00 European copies. Most of them appearing online seem to be American and Japanese.

Atavan-Halen

I must check my copy sometime. It's a US copy but its a Sega classic copy, so it's probably 1.03

Retr0gamer

It's tough enough getting to spiderman and batman let alone the godzilla boss though, might take a while before you even see them.

o1s1n

It's one of those games that time made you forget about the difficulty level. Did for me anyway!

Played the hell out of it as a kid. It was the second or third game I owned for the console. So there would have been a time when I only had that and Sonic. (And possibly Alisa Dragoon too)

I knew it inside out.

Came back to it ten years later looking to relive some childhood memories and suddely the game owned my ass! Took quite a bit of effort to get control over it again. I remembered the waterfall level being bad but jesus, some well timed platform jumping needed there.

CiDeRmAn

What a bunch of nerds!

Everytime I fear that my gaming obsession makes me nearly a genus apart from the rest of normal humankind I read a thread like this and feel immediatley better, because there are those who are much farther gone than I am!

komodosp

Heh!

"We need you to make our alcoholism seem less raging!"

o1s1n

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

What a bunch of nerds!

Everytime I fear that my gaming obsession makes me nearly a genus apart from the rest of normal humankind I read a thread like this and feel immediatley better, because there are those who are much farther gone than I am!

Hah! So that's why you hide all your games away in the attic? To deny the nerdyness?

We all know your secret here...

Now enough whinging and go test your copy of The Revenge of Shinobi!

Retr0gamer

I tink he is just afraid that when he tests his copy of revenge of shinobi he won't be good enough to get anywhere near spiderman. Thats what I'd expect from a noob Halo fan.

BTW the virtual console version has a pink spiderman because Sega don't hold the license anymore. Boo-urns!

o1s1n

Hahaha! Prove him wrong Ciderman, prove him wrong...

That's interesting about Spiderman being pink...as it tests the theory that The Hulk boss remained unchanged as the license Sega had at the time covered him too.

So if he's still in the virtual console release unchanged that theory goes out the window.

Still doesn't explain why he wasn't a copywrite issue with Marvel and Spiderman was though. Odd.

Retr0gamer

Well he was half hulk/half terminator. Also the likeness wasn't a blatant was with spiderman and batman.

Atavan-Halen

After reading that again, it would appear that you can spot if its 1.02 straight away by a copyright which generally appear at the start of games. amirite?

o1s1n

atavan-halen wrote: »

After reading that again, it would appear that you can spot if its 1.02 straight away by a copyright which generally appear at the start of games. amirite?

Yes and no

If you see the copywrite then you can be sure it has been edited.

However, there have been cases of games with no copywrite also being edited.

The only way to be 100% sure is to play through. Which as retro pointed out, is actually hard enough as the game is difficult.

The highest rate of getting a 1.00 seems to be buying random original release Japanese carts. But lots of them are edited too.

It's basically a lottery! And similarly to the lottery, if you want to get better odds (Like by doing those lotteries that are 20 euro a ticket but more chance of winning), you'll have to pay more to import Japanese carts!

CiDeRmAn

I don't own a Shinobi game, never liked it, nor Ninja Gaiden or any of those games, run this way and chop'nsock, repeat til boss, so on and so on...
And whad'ya mean "noob halo fan"?
Am I a noob gamer?
Nope.
Am I a noob to Halo?
Nope.
Are you a Treasure lovin' fanatic?
Do you possibly dream in low 16-bit resolution, dream of running along a scrolling land, a homing gun in one hand and a flame thrower in the other?
Hmm, imagine you in analysis Retro!

o1s1n

You don't like Golden Axe.

You don't like The Revenge of Shinobi.

GTFO!!!

/Edit - If I remember correctly you also don't like Streets of Rage.

You have no soul!

Actually funnily enough, they're all on one cart together.

CiDeRmAn

I just don't like side scrolling beat'em ups, never did.
The only ones that ever held my interest were Final Fight, in the arcade and on the Snes but not for long as the vastly superior Batman Returns came out and it was and is the best example of the genre ever, also one of the best movie licences ever too, with nice use of the theme music throughout and some very well done cut scenes, digitised from the brilliant movie.
I was, and still am, a massive Tim Burton fan, and having watched Batman Returns a couple of times on the big screen I was delighted with the game.
Can't imagine it being any better than it is, evem though it was rendered using my most loathed of game genres.
That said, Batman Arkham Asylum is very good too, and it does share some DNA with the old Snes game, namely the "weight" of the lead character, the sheer feeling of momentum behind each punch and kick, not to mention the signature throws that Batman pulls off during both games as you spin and target various onscreen evil doers.
Wonderful.

Golden Axe is a puddle of dwarf urine, and history will bear me out on this, so are the Streets of Rage games, pure crap.
Just look how badly the Tekken minigames fare, the ones where the game in remodelled as a scrolling beat'em up, terrible stuff.
It's simply a lousy genre, requiring little more than a push to the right and hammer the action button to progress, any less interaction and it'd be called a QTE game.

Retr0gamer

Alien vs. Predator > Batman Returns.

LoGiE

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Alien vs. Predator > Batman Returns.

I concur....

CiDeRmAn Golden Axe certainly is not urine... 20 years and still fun...FACT. Beating the ****e out of your mate just so you could hack the little blue elf first...priceless.

o1s1n

Side scrolling Beat em ups really need two people playing. Alone they can get boring fast. With someone else kicking ass beside you they're fantastic.

The Golxen Axe series is hardly mind blowing, but they're not bad games.

The Streets of Rage comment though..wah, you're mad! :P. They're absolutely brilliant. The visuals of Streets of Rage 1 have dated a bit, but the gameplay is still there. And the music is some of the best on the console.

Two and three still look fantastic. The sprites are lovely. The mechanics work great. I don't understand how someone could not like them..? Sure, you might not like the genre, but saying they're crap is a bit much to be honest:P

I mean I can't stand Halo. Generic space marine FPS, boring visuals/enemy design/weapons... yawnfest. but I wouldn't call it crap. (As much as I'd love to)

/Back to the game at hand - The Revenge of Shinobi. Not really in the same league of game to be honest. It's a side scrolling platformer with some action. Not really the same as a beat em up.

It's one of those games that has no other reason for being crap than the player being crap at the game :P

Retr0gamer

I agree that Golden Axe has dated badly and wouldn't call it great anymore.

Revenge of Shinobi took me months to get to the end of it and the final maze stage is a ****. Could never finish the last boss let alone finish him in time.

CiDeRmAn

Oh, so you guys get stressed when I call Golden Axe and Streets Of Rage, CRAP!
Crappity Crap?

If I said, for example Carp! would you get stressed then realise to your shame that you mistook a fish for the turd you thought it was?

Ha!

While others were playing GoldenAxe and SoR I was playing LHX Attack Chopper, mmm, I love the smell of toasted camel in the morning!

And as for Aliens Vs Predator = Batman Returns, madness!
Now, I did like the Aliens videogame, the scrolling shooter, out in 88/89 or so, played that a lot then, on college, whenI should have been studying!

o1s1n

So rather than a silky smooth beat em up with a pounding soundtrack, you chose LHX Attack Chopper... ? a game with less frame rate than a comic book?

You've gone from no taste to sheer insanity my good man!

CiDeRmAn

Make that one of those flick animation books and you've almost got it!

I have it and F-117 Nighthawk as well!

There is no accounting for taste, bad or otherwise.

I make up for it by loving 8/16 bit Sonic and Mario games!

During my Megadrive owning years the games that got the most play were Sonic, Sonic 3, Dune 2, Road Rash 2, Biohazard Battle and the Thunderforce series, not to mention a bit of everything else that I could get my mitts on!
It could be worse, I have a mate who played way too much 688 Attack Sub, and knows all the dialog, including the Russian stuff!

o1s1n

Awh, just read the following over on sega-16.com.

sega-16 wrote:

Not very likely. The Mega Drive and Revenge of Shinobi didn't get released in Europe until 1990, and by then the game had gone through a couple of revisions already. If 1.00 or 1.01 did ever get a PAL release, it must have been a very limited print, so very rare. I haven't heard about anyone owning a copy, so it's doubtful that it exists.

Looks like I'll be hunting a Japanese copy so.

\Edit - Just a question actually, how many of you use the unlimited shuriken cheat in this game? I always did. Without even thinking I was cheating. Probably because I discovered it myself, so I felt like I'd somehow won the ability to use it without feeling bad..

Looking back now, all those times I made it through the game don't count for ****. Bugger!

Retr0gamer

On a Shinobi related note here's some info on the Shinobi 3 betas. I knew there was at least 1 unreleased and finished Shinobi 3 because I have the Mean Machines collection of reviews book from 1994 and julian Rignall meantions that Shinobi 3 was brought back to be remade after receiving less than stellar reviews but didn't know quite how many there actually were.

http://randomhoohaas.flyingomelette.com/SUPERGALVATRONSCORNERSHOP/Shrines/Super%20Shinobi%20II/SS2main.html

o1s1n

Interesting, first I've heard of this.

Shame about some of the moves being cut out of the final version. Diving sword attack sounds promising. As does that flip attack.