Shinobi

The five missions in the game each have three or four levels. Several hostages are being held captive in each level; Joe must rescue them all before he can complete the level. In the last level of each mission, there are no hostages, but instead a powerful boss enemy that Joe must defeat. After completing the first four missions, the player enters a bonus phase where they can earn an extra life by defeating all the ninjas that jump at them. After completing the fifth mission, the game is over. Furthermore, once the fifth mission has started, the player cannot continue; they must finish the game with the lives they have left at that point. If the player achieves a place in the high score table, the number of credits they needed to achieve that score is displayed alongside their score. Joe's standard weapons are an unlimited number of shuriken, as well as punches and kicks when attacking at close range. One hostage per level gives him a power-up. When he gets a power-up, his throwing stars are replaced by a weapon that fires large, explosive balls, and his melee attack becomes a katana slash. Joe can also use "ninja magic," which can only be used once per level and kills all enemies on the screen (or deals damage in the case of bosses). The game also allows enemies to hide behind crates or use shields to deflect Musashi's shuriken.[4] Joe can be killed with one hit if he is hit by a projectile or melee attack, but when not in such situations, the player can touch normal enemies and will only be knocked back without taking damage. Since most enemies appear in the same place in each level, the game can be mastered by memorizing their positions and developing strategies to defeat them. At the end of each level, the player receives bonus points based on their performance. If they complete the level without using ninja magic or throwing stars or balls, they receive a bonus. The player has three minutes to complete each level; the remaining time at the end of the level is also converted into bonus points and added to the player's score.