Play Shinobi online

Shinobi was the cabinet that made every kid in the arcade want to be a ninja. One look at someone flipping between levels, flinging stars at top speed and unleashing ninja magic, and the line of quarters on the edge of the machine started to grow.

At UsuArcade you don't have to wait your turn. Open the arcade in your browser, sit down at the Shinobi machine and hit INSERT COIN. Free, nothing to install.

History

Sega released Shinobi in 1987 and introduced Joe Musashi, a ninja taking on a crime syndicate that has kidnapped a bunch of kids. It was one of Sega's biggest arcade hits of the late 80s and kicked off a whole series on consoles.

It mixed side-scrolling action with a signature twist: many stages have two levels, and Joe can leap up or down between them to dodge or flank enemies. That nimble, acrobatic feel set it apart from the other action games of its day.

How to play

You move right, rescuing the hostages scattered through each stage; you can't finish until every one is free. You throw stars at range, and when an enemy gets in close, Joe automatically switches to kicks or his sword. Some hostages power up your attack.

One button jumps, and holding up or down while jumping switches levels. Once per stage you can cast ninja magic to wipe out every enemy on screen, so save it for when you're surrounded or facing a boss. Between missions there's a first-person bonus round where you throw stars at ninjas leaping toward you.

Fun facts

• You can't clear a stage until you've rescued every hostage.
• Ninja magic works only once per stage, so timing it is half the strategy.
• The throwing-star bonus round is one of the most memorable bits of any Sega arcade game.

In the arcade

Shinobi was a take-turns game, and that's how it plays on UsuArcade, just online: invite your friend to your cabinet once they're in the lobby and trade turns, each on your own phone or PC. While one plays, the other watches live.

Nothing to install: it runs in your browser, gamepad supported, and every game starts with INSERT COIN, free. Everyone else in the lobby can watch and chat, and scores go up on the arcade's high score board.

FAQ