Shinobi: Art of Vengance (Sega | Lizardcube) - coming 29 August 2025

Favourite Shinobi game?

  • Shinobi (1987)

    Votes: 6 5.7%
  • Shadow Dancer (1989)

    Votes: 15 14.3%
  • The Revenge of Shinobi (1989)

    Votes: 38 36.2%
  • Shinobi III (1993)

    Votes: 37 35.2%
  • Shinobi Legions (1995)

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Shinobi (2002)

    Votes: 8 7.6%

  • Total voters
    105
Ehhhh don't feel great about what I'm seeing. Not tryna play a game about how much we liked shinobi when I've got real shinobi games that I haven't even close to played out.
 
Hopefully it will come out for the Switch 2 as well
I'll triple dip on Shinobi Xbox, Steam Deck, Switch 1. Same for Sonic Racing CrossWorlds...

But we must boycott the first fucking wave of Sega game key cards on Switch 2 !

I think Lizard will deal with Sega to secure a proper cart...
(in that case only, i'll buy the Switch 2 game for friends. Even if i don't own the console. I'm tired of Yakuza games, i'll buy 100000 times every Sega "new era" revivals of old franchises. 🤩
 
I wonder how this will stack up against Ninja Gaiden Ragebound? Two classic ninja game revivals so close to each other; will it hurt sales or help boost them for both games?
 
I like what I see. Its not classic Shinobi, funnily enough Ragebound looks more like what a Shinobi would be.

But I can't deny it looks awesome. And Huber who extensively played it does stress that what he played is up there with his GOTY's, and I generally agree with his views. The combat rooms etc do look awesome, and the amount of tools you must use to survive those waves. There is depth to this game.
 
It's 30 for the base game and 40 for the digital deluxe.

On the Nintendo eShop, it's 26.99 and 35.99 respectively until launch day
Base game it is! I will be on it. Also did they get the 60fps for Switch on this? shame that well... so far... Ninja Gaiden is 30fps on Switch. Makes no sense. These type games NEED 60fps.

I will be buying on Steam, but still.
 
This game is absolutely baller. I am fucking floored.

Seriously, these graphics and controls are butter smooth, just without any hiccup. Its responsive as fuck.

The gameplay. The game is different from classic Shinobi in that enemies can take hits, can have armor and can be combo'd. But trust me... its glorious!

Every slash feels heavy, and hits really connect. When it flows its simply awesome. You are doing combos and juggles, and once you see a mark above an enemy you can opt to insta finish it for health regain. Soon enough this became second nature for me, I would slash on groups while rolling and diving around, and execute when I saw their posture bar being filled. Ninpo can be done mid combo, and you can throw kunai mid combo. The divekick from S3 returns and feels awesome. Rolling gives you invis frames and allows you to reset combos.

Level design is like Metroidvania with fast travel, with secrets and rooms you can't access yet. I beat one combo challenge, which was pretty fun.
 
Well, what a disappointment, the Switch version looks pixelated in comparison to the PS5 (obviously).
I don't fucking get it, why not also release a switch 2 version for fuck's sake? Are they really that incompetent ?
Fooking Nintendo man, always 5 years behind...

PS: the game plays beautifully though, controls and combat are silky smooth
 
Looks like a 100% nope for me, yuck. I knew this would happen when they tried to make Shinobi more like cool looking brawler. Well I doubt it could be even called Shinobi.
 
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Well, what a disappointment, the Switch version looks pixelated in comparison to the PS5 (obviously).
I don't fucking get it, why not also release a switch 2 version for fuck's sake? Are they really that incompetent ?
Fooking Nintendo man, always 5 years behind...

PS: the game plays beautifully though, controls and combat are silky smooth

So frustrating. I stopped buying 3rd party games on Switch several years ago because those versions very rarely don't have concessions. Sometimes massive ones.
 
Just played the demo on pc, loved it! I was worried that it was going to be too easy, but the challenge rooms are a nice bit of extra difficulty, and the boss teaches you not to swing too wildly. Combat does in fact flow well once you learn enemy patterns.
 
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I think its really good despite Revenge being one of my favourite games of all time. The first Rift is some seriously hardcore platform gameplay. And there are more sections that require perfect timing to get through. You can style this game, but also play it more traditional. Most enemies still die relatively fast, many fall to a single kunai which you haven't an infinite stock of. Some you just need to combo and the trick is to use attacks that rapidly open a finisher.

For me the demo feels as good as SoR4 did. I think they did another great job reviving a dormant IP.

Once you beat the demo you can fast travel around with your new tools.
 
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Well, what a disappointment, the Switch version looks pixelated in comparison to the PS5 (obviously).
I don't fucking get it, why not also release a switch 2 version for fuck's sake? Are they really that incompetent ?
Fooking Nintendo man, always 5 years behind...

PS: the game plays beautifully though, controls and combat are silky smooth
I don't think it's on Nintendo if devs can't get a game like this running well on Switch. Nothing in the demo is beyond Xbox 360 Arcade level.

And no Switch 2 version is just stupid.
 
I don't think it's on Nintendo if devs can't get a game like this running well on Switch. Nothing in the demo is beyond Xbox 360 Arcade level.

And no Switch 2 version is just stupid.

Jinzi, it runs fine (in contrast to Ninja Gaiden Rage bound) at 60fps, it's just the resolution that's shit compared to the "big" consoles, the game NEEDS a S2 version but, guess what, it won't and there will only be a S1 one (as per today's Nintendo direct).

Just when I thought this company couldn't disappoint me more...

And we're not talking about gimped versionsof AAA games here either but friggin' indie pixel art ones (including NG ragebound), it's 2 games that I won't be spending money on their platform, in the end it's their loss.
 
Played for 5 minutes....I AM SOLD. Controls are super responsive, graphics are crisp AS FUCK. Combo potential is off the chain here. DAY ONE. Speedrunners are literally gonna have a field day. Game has a "smooth flow" feeling to combat. Hard to explain. The juggling of opponents feels SO GOOD.
 
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Looks up to Lizard Cube crap flash standards

The art style can be opinable at times, but this is all hand animated which is the polar opposite of flash.

Something "flash-animated" would be Salt and Sanctuary, which relies on rotation and modifications of sprites, more than actual different sprites for every animation frame.
 
Bummed there's no native switch 2 version as I would've opted for that.

I'll skip the demo and proceed with ps5 version on release. I don't want to play this and if be better than rage bound and then spoil my enjoyment of rage bound.

It's good they have some time apart so I can enjoy each on its own merits.
 
The demo is easy. You can unlock an arcade mode but it doesn't seem to be much harder.

The game stacks you with different mechanics which make the game easier and easier the further the demo progresses.

I want to play more but for now this seems like a way more casual game than the previous Shinobi games I've played or for example Ragebound.

I fear the too many mechanics end up diluting the experience and make the game easier and easier as you progress.
 
If its anything like SoR4 it won't be easier as the game progresses. Enemies will likely evolve too. Yes, this game isn't about single hits.. but it does feel incredibly cool. Its like how I'd imagine Shinobi to fight when I was a kid playing the games. Platform gameplay feels solid too.

Played for 5 minutes....I AM SOLD. Controls are super responsive, graphics are crisp AS FUCK. Combo potential is off the chain here. DAY ONE. Speedrunners are literally gonna have a field day. Game has a "smooth flow" feeling to combat. Hard to explain. The juggling of opponents feels SO GOOD.

Yeah you can put enemies in finisher state very fast and also in mid air. The finisher will auto warp to whatever stunned enemies even if they fall down. Its pretty bad ass. And the Ninpo and Jiujitsu are bad ass too. One Ninpo restores the octa shuriken throw which I thought was gone.

This game is going to look very pretty in the hands of pros who will do no hit runs and speedruns, or combo records.
 
The 2002 Shinobi on PS2 is the only one I've played and it was and I'm sure is still harder than any souls game ever made. PS2 Shinobi went so hard it broke the franchise.

When I say that bitch was hard, I'm not talking 2025 or even 2002 hard. I'm talking 1986 hard. PS2 Shinobi may be the hardest game I've ever played.
 
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The 2002 Shinobi on PS2 is the only one I've played and it was and I'm sure is still harder than any souls game ever made.

PS2 Shinobi went so hard it broke the franchise.

I recently played it. It is hard as nails, especially later on. Don't you have to restart the level entirely if you die? Like, whoops, I feel off the map because there's no floor :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
I recently played it. It is hard as nails, especially later on. Don't you have to restart the level entirely if you die? Like, whoops, I feel off the map because there's no floor :messenger_tears_of_joy:
It's been a while but dude, glad to hear someone reaffirm that. In my memory is was the hardest shit I've ever accomplished, lol. CRAZY hard but really I somehow have kinda fond memories of it. I don't think I had much fun playing it by the end though. That last boss.....
 
It's been a while but dude, glad to hear someone reaffirm that. In my memory is was the hardest shit I've ever accomplished, lol. CRAZY hard but really I somehow have kinda fond memories of it. I don't think I had much fun playing it by the end though. That last boss.....

Yeah, I do NOT doubt that lmao. It's absolutely masochistic.

When you pull off a good Tate and slice up all the enemies around you? Few things in video games feels better.
 
Bought Ninja Gaiden Ragebound today and grabbed the demo to this. Just played 5 mins or so of Shinobi on the Steam Deck to see if it would run (it's not currently verified) and omg does this game look fucking gorgeous on the OLED. Runs 90fps. Had to break to eat but I'm gonna play through the demo afterwards and probably buying the Deluxe Edition. Fucking ninjas taking all my monies!!!

Ninjas GIF
 
Bought Ninja Gaiden Ragebound today and grabbed the demo to this. Just played 5 mins or so of Shinobi on the Steam Deck to see if it would run (it's not currently verified) and omg does this game look fucking gorgeous on the OLED. Runs 90fps. Had to break to eat but I'm gonna play through the demo afterwards and probably buying the Deluxe Edition. Fucking ninjas taking all my monies!!!

Ninjas GIF

I'm absolutely chomping at the bit to play this late tonight.

I played the hell outta the Ragebound demo and will be playing that tonight as well.

Which sick-ass 2D ninja action platformer is feeling better?!
 
Pretty disappointed that the physical editions are being handled by Limited Run Games. All the management drama aside, they suck at packaging items for shipping. I've received multiple things from them that were damaged because they didn't package them well. Digital it is, I guess.
 
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