Play Order
0 / 5 playedClassics first, then the revival.
About Shinobi
Shinobi began with Sega's 1987 arcade about Joe Musashi rescuing kidnapped children from Zeed. The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) and Shinobi III (1993) defined the Genesis run, Shadow Dancer continued arcades, and the PS2 pair Shinobi (2002) and Nightshade (2003) rebooted around Hotsuma. The 3DS entry (2011) bridged quietly before the long wait.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance from Lizardcube released August 29, 2025 with hand-drawn stages around a new hero, reviving the series after fourteen years. Sega positions it as the start of a bigger run, with the Oboro story active rather than closed.
Good to know
Play the Genesis pair first for the classic run, then Art of Vengeance as the modern start, since the new game reteaches the parry and kunai language. The PS2 entries divide fans with their curse mechanics, safe after the classics rather than first. Arcade and Game Gear entries work as history extras with no required plot.
