Shinobi X delivers enough gameplay and presentation goodness to be considered a must-have title for Saturn collectors.
Shinobi X, aka Shinobi Legions (US) / Shin Shinobi Den (JP), which was released in 1995, replaced the drawn visuals with digi sprites technically reminiscent of the early Mortal Kombat titles. While it stays close to the gameplay formula the Shinobi series is known for, few changes have been made, the most obvious one being the abandonment of former installments' main character Joe Musashi.
The story circles around Sho and his evil brother Kazuma. As kids they were trained by a ninjutsu master, who had recognized the powerful capabilities lying within both of them, unable to be fully unleashed yet. However, Kazuma soon refused most of his mentor's teachings, being solely obsessed with gaining absolute strength. When the master had rejected to introduce him to the secrets of the ultimate technique, Kazuma disappeared, swearing to take revenge one day.
Years pass and the perfidious Kazuma proves to be a man of his word, recruiting an army of like-minded felons to build a fortress and kidnapping Sho's semi-fiancé Aya, who is the missing key to evoking his tremendous power.
Sho's rescuing task starts out in oldschool Kyoto and it'll take only a minute or less to figure out the controls, especially if you've been familiar with the series ever since. The main difference compared to earlier entries is the departure from a mainly Shuriken-focussed combat, because this time you can slash your precious Katana frequently, even when not directly confronted with an enemy. In addition you now have the ability to toss back your foes' Shuriken, making for a deadly "return to sender", or alternatively just block them. Also, Joe's dropkick has been traded for a nasty from-above Katana slice, aiming directly at the opponent's head. The fast Katana dash can still be executed while running.
There are several items to be obtained throughout the stages by either smashing crates (beware of bombs!) or eliminating your offenders, including yellow/red orbs to restore health, Shuriken and special time-limited power-ups, such as the Great Sword (casts a supportive creature), Bunshin clone shield and the dragon spell known from the predecessors. You should also look out for the blue life spheres, given the fact that collecting ten of them adds an extra life.
As expected from the franchise the level design is diversified and very well crafted. There are nine stages, with locations ranging from Mount Fuji to Hong Kong Harbour and jungle to laboratory, each ending with a challenging boss fight, which will leave you all chopped up if you don't figure out your rival's attack patterns.
Needless to say, Shinobi X is not your mom's game. As the series has always been known for its tough difficulty, later stages can become significantly hard to master. It's then when you notice that the double jump command, which comes in life-saving more often than not, could have been a little bit more responsive, as your timing has to be pretty precise to execute it. Then again, that's something Shinobi aficionados have probably grown accustomed to from former installments.
Like Shinobi III was a graphically stunning effort for the Genesis at its time, Shinobi X makes extensive use of the Saturn's often praised sprite capabilities. For a game released more than 13 years ago it looks fantastic! Frankly, the digitalized sprites could have benefited from a higher resolution, but scrolling is smooth and the backgrounds, while merely 2D drawings, manage to create a nice atmosphere, matching with the varying settings of the stages.
As full motion video was THE thing back in the 90s, the stages are wired together by amazingly ridiculous real-action scenes, featuring B-cast actors and laughable special fx. They are greatly entertaining though (in fact one of the reasons to own this game!) and give you a little insight on what's cookin' with the story.
Shinobi X is also easily the most violent entry in series, complete with blood spills and antagonists being split ahalf.
The music however, while chiefly decently arranged and exciting enough to get you going during boss encounters, doesn't reach the level of the Shinobi III tunes, which have become somewhat legendary. The US and European versions of Shinobi X have different soundtracks. I am referring to the unaltered US one, which is the same as the Japanese release.
While many SEGA enthusiasts will most likely award Shinobi III as their favorite episode of the ninja saga, Shinobi X delivers enough gameplay and presentation goodness to be considered a must-have title for Saturn collectors.
Graphics: 7.5/10
Sound: 7/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Lifespan: 8/10
Overall: 8.5