Shadow Dancer for the iiRcade is a really cool throw back to the classic Shinobi arcade games. This arcade port really brings back the fun and enjoyment of side scrolling, ninja star throwing action. One of my favorite Sega Genesis games is Revenge of Shinobi. The classic game-play of The Genesis version is here as well in this non sequal arcade version of Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (or just Shadow Dancer). 
In this game you are accompanied by your fierce fellow dog friend who is by your side until called upon. When you call on your dog to attack, he will jump to the enemy and slow them down so you can take them out. Most of the time I find that the dog gets killed before I can get to the enemy but it sometimes does create an advantage. Retrieving time bombs during your adventure will eventually upgrade your fire power to double which take out the enemy faster.there is also a magic button which when pressed unleashes a whirlwind of power that takes out all the enemies at once. This is probably best used during boss battles. You can only use this once per level.
There are boss battles after a few stages of play. Getting past the boss can be tricky but if you figure out the pattern you can overcome them. Like most retro game there is a story line to go through too finish and be the champion. In 1997, an evil ninja cult Union Lizard has taken over New York City. Along with his dog Yamato, they battle though airports, planes and runways to get to the boss and save the hostages. The more threatening enemies have their own unique moves, like gunners that frantically reload after a few shots, or the ninja rainbow squad, each colored goon corresponding to a different method of movement.
Shadow Dancer is a nice addition to the iiRcade if you want to play a solid side scroller Sega game from the 1990’s. This game can be played by beginners and skilled side scrolling competitors..It does feel like the old days of playing these games when you turn it on. Playing it on an arcade machine makes it more nostalgic.
Shadow Dancer is $12.99 in the iiRcade Game Store.
For more information on iiRcade go to https://www.iircade.com/
