Shadow Dancer is such a leap above the original Shinobi that I was about to give it 5/5 stars. It may still have a stressful timer, one-hit kills, and stiff ninja movement, but it upgrades on nearly every single other front, making for a much more enjoyable game.

A nameless ninja fights a league of terrorists with his faithful pet dog. The faithful pet dog in question is the most unique change - while the ninja runs and shuriken guns, the dog barks and flings themselves at the nearest enemy, allowing a crack in hardened defenses. It's not always there in a pinch but it's useful. The upgrades are bombs which when enough are picked up, the player gets double damage.

The design of the enemies has also gotten an upgrade. They still throw knives and bullets and whatnot at you but the pace of the bullets allows the player to keep up with their movements and act accordingly. Even the bladed ninjas are tweaked to make the previous game feel like cheap shots in comparison.

The world is also so much more gorgeous. The grungy city streets and bloody sewers feel so much more alive than the first game, and enemies range from gunmen to bladed ninjas to alligators to flamethrowers. The music isn't as catchy as Shinobi but it's not horrible.

Shadow Dancer proves that even with a formula like Shinobi, a little iteration can make a much more fun game. That, and the invaluable nature of dog sidekicks!