History VideoGame / ShinobiIIIReturnOfTheNinjaMaster

* DoubleJump: Only works at the apex of a full-length jump. It results in a spin animation, and is also a prerequisite for the FlechetteStorm.

** Joe can perform one of these mid-DoubleJump at the cost of 8 shuriken, spraying his projectiles out in a wide arc in front of him.

* SequelNumberSnarl: Despite the "III" in the title, this is the ''ninth'' overall game in the ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' series. [[note]]Eighth if one discounts ''VideoGame/AlexKidd in Shinobi World''.[[/note]] The Japanese release is a little better about this, since the game is [[MarketBasedTitle instead billed]] as a direct follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi The Super Shinobi]]'' (which in turn [[CanonDiscontinuity ignored]] ''VideoGame/ShadowDancer'').

* ToBeContinued: We are told this after the credits, [[AbortedArc but Joe's story isn't continued at all in the other games]].

* NintendoHard: Most of the game isn't too difficult to really push you, though make no mistake, it will kick your butt if you're not ready. Then Round 5 hits and the game stops holding its punches as more dangerous challenges ensue. Round 7 will also put your platforming skills to the ''test'' with instant death almost always present until the FinalBoss.

* PrehensileHair: The Ninja Master, FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi'', retains the use of his kabuki hair as a weapon and, when he returns here [[spoiler:[[DemotedToDragon as the penultimate boss]]]], he takes this [[ExaggeratedTrope Up To Eleven]], shooting a FlechetteStorm from it.
* RecurringRiff: In addition to a reprise in Round 5-1, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFZQWCg99l4 "Idaten"]] (the theme for the horseback riding sequence in Round 2-1) is remixed into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kCTOmizgxk "Inner Darkside"]] -- a more low-key and ambient drum and bass track -- for Round 3-1. Considering [[WombLevel what comes next]], [[DarkReprise the change in instrumentation]] gives players a hint as to what they'll soon be up against.

* TheRuinsICaused: The ending, where Joe looks at the remains of Neo Zeed's aerial base from a cliff after it crashes into the ground.

* WombLevel: The second half of Round 3. Note that the Round's official name is "Body Weapon", suggesting the Hydra might be a TranshumanAbomination, or at least some kind of humanoid bioweapon engineered by Neo Zeed.

''Sometimes he hides in mud. Other times he transforms his shape like an ever changing cloud''\

''Should Shinobi fail before completing the mission, he will disappear before the dawn and vanish forever.''\\

-->-- '''Intro'''

The sequel to ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi''.

Twice, Joe Musashi had seemingly destroyed the worldwide crime organization Neo Zeed, but once again, two years after the events of the second game, Neo Zeed has risen again, now led by the mysterious Shadow Master. Sensing their presence, Joe descends from his isolated mountaintop home and once again enters the battle, perhaps to finally drive his blade through the heart of the forces of darkness once and for all. [[note]]Or, by the original plot before it was reworked considerably, Shadow Master was the true boss of Neo Zeed all along, with the titular Ninja Master, the last boss of the previous game, being his puppet, and Neo Zeed has been recreated by him as "Neo Ghost". In either case,Joe has to stop them.[[/note]]

* BattleAura: The final battle with the Shadow Master starts off on equal footing as [[DuelBoss he uses shuriken and a katana against Joe]]. Then when he takes enough damage, he calls down a beam of energy to power himself up with a corona of fire -- at which point he starts firing energy bolts from his palms, hurls a huge EnergyBall, counters Joe's dive kick with a {{Shoryuken}} and sometimes unleashes his own Ninjitsu technique to spray the entire chamber with energy bolts.

* SequelNumberSnarl: Despite the "III" in the title, this is the ''ninth'' overall game in the ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' series. The Japanese release is a little better about this, since the game is [[MarketBasedTitle instead billed]] as a direct follow-up to ''[[VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi The Super Shinobi]]'' (which in turn [[CanonDiscontinuity ignored]] ''VideoGame/ShadowDancer'').

''--From the [='=]Secret Manual of Oboro Ninjitsu[='=]"''

Twice, Joe Musashi had seemingly destroyed the worldwide crime organization Neo Zeed, but once again, two years after the events of the second game, Neo-Zeed has risen again, now led by the mysterious Shadow Master. Sensing their presence, Joe descends from his isolated mountaintop home and once again enters the battle, perhaps to finally drive his blade through the heart of the forces of darkness once and for all. [[note]]Or, by the original plot before it was reworked considerably, Shadow Master was the true boss of Neo Zeed all along, with the titular Ninja Master, the last boss of the previous game, being his puppet, and Neo Zeed has been recreated by him as "Neo Ghost". In either case,Joe has to stop them.[[/note]]

* ActionizedSequel: Joe now can [[VideoGameDashing run around]] and [[DivingKick dive kick]] enemies. This makes the game much faster-paced than the previous one.

* CompositeCharacter: In the Japanese version of ''Shinobi III'', the penultimate boss is Byakushishi ("White Lion"), who is supposed to be the Ninja Master's younger brother while Western releases makes him the titular Ninja Master instead.

* GuideDangIt: There's a functioning guard mechanic that can outright NoSell many projectiles and attacks, even trivializing some sections. The manual simply lists it as a defensive pose in a corner of the page like an awkward hang-on from the last that is easy to overlook, and doesn't bother to indicate just how effective it really is. [[https://rq87.flyingomelette.com/RQ/SS/S3/F/game.html As mentioned here,]] the guard is performed simply by holding down the attack button.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Turtles]], [[Anime/NinjaScroll scrolls]], and [[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden side]] [[JustForPun stories]] not included.[[note]]There is, however, [[Film/SurfNinjas a surfboard.]][[/note]]'']]

Twice, Joe Musashi had seemingly destroyed the worldwide crime organization Neo Zeed, but once again, two years after the events of the second game, Neo-Zeed has risen again, now led by the mysterious Shadow Master. Sensing their presence, Joe descends from his isolated mountaintop home and once again enters the battle, perhaps to finally drive his blade through the heart of the forces of darkness once and for all.[[note]]Or, by the original plot before it was reworked considerably, Shadow Master was the true boss of Neo Zeed all along, with the titular Ninja Master, the last boss of the previous game, being his puppet, and Neo Zeed has been recreated by him as "Neo Ghost". In either case,Joe has to stop them.[[/note]]

* ActionizedSequel: Joe now can run around and dive kick enemies. This makes the game much faster paced than the previous one.
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: In the final mission of Shinobi III, Joe boards Neo Zeed's flying fortress and has to navigate past its automated defenses in order to reach the final duel with the Shadow Master.
* BattleAura: In Shinobi III, the final battle with the Shadow Master starts off on equal footing as he uses shuriken and katana against Joe. Then when he takes enough damage, he calls down a beam of energy to power himself up with a corona of fire — at which point he starts firing energy bolts from his palms, hurls a huge Energy Ball, counters Joe's dive kick with a Shoryuken and sometimes unleashes his own Ninjitsu technique to spray the entire chamber with energy bolts.
* CompositeCharacter: In the Japanese version of Shinobi III the penultimate boss is Byakushishi ("White Lion"), who is supposed to be the Ninja Master's younger brother while Western releases makes him The Ninja Master instead.

* DegradedBoss: The Shadow Dancer (Boss of Stage 2 in Revenge) returns in as Stage 2's MiniBoss.

* FlechetteStorm: The Ninja Master in Shinobi III gained a flechette spray attack launched with a flick of his kabuki wig.
* GuideDangIt!: There’s a functioning guard mechanic that can outright NoSell many projectiles and attacks, even trivializing some sections. The manual simply lists it as a defensive pose in a corner of the page like an awkward hang-on from the last that is easy to overlook, and doesn't bother to indicate just how effective it really is.

* MarketBasedTitle: Shinobi III is named The Super Shinobi II (establishing its status as a sequel to Revenge).
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Stages 2 and 3 each provide a preview of the corresponding boss in the background.
* PrehensileHair: The Ninja Master, FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi'', retains the use of his Kabuki hair as a weapon and, when he returns here [[spoiler:[[DemotedToDragon as the penultimate boss]]]], he takes this UpToEleven, shooting a FlechetteStorm from it.

** Ninjas on surfboards in Shinobi III? Yes, please.
** Riding on horseback at the beginning of stage 2. On which said horse can do a diving KICK... awesome.
* TheRuinsICaused: The ending of Shinobi III, where Joe looks at the remains of Neo Zeed's aerial base from a cliff after it crashes into the ground.
* SpoilerTitle: [[spoiler: The Ninja Master, the Final Boss of The Revenge of Shinobi indeed returns, albeit as the penultimate boss.]]
* SteppingStonesInTheSky: Round 6 of Shinobi III is set entirely on a series of falling rocks in a chasm.
* ToBeContinued: We are told this after the credits in Shinobi III, but Joe's story isn't continued at all in the other games.
* WombLevel: The second half of level 3 in Shinobi III.

Twice, Joe Musashi had seemingly destroyed the worldwide crime organization Neo Zeed, but once again, two years after the events of the second game, Neo-Zeed has risen again, now led by the mysterious Shadow Master. Sensing their presence, Joe descends from his isolated mountaintop home and once again enters the battle, perhaps to finally drive his blade through the heart of the forces of darkness once and for all.[[note]]Or, by the original plot before it was reworked considerably, Shadow Master was the true boss of Neo Zeed all along, with the titular Ninja Master, the last boss of the previous game, being his puppet, and Neo Zeed has been recreated by him as "Neo Ghost." In either case,Joe has to stop them.[[/note]]

** Riding on horseback at the beginning of stage 2. On which said horse can do a diving KICK ...awesome

A sequel to ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi''.

[[caption-width-right:350:Part Man...Part Machine...All Hero]]

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* PrehensileHair: The Ninja Master, FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/RevengeOfShinobi'', retains the use of his Kabuki hair as a weapon and, when he returns here [[spoiler:[[DemotedToDragon as the penultimate boss]]]], he takes this UpToEleven, shooting a FlechetteStorm from it.

A sequel to ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOFShinobi''.

* Battle Aura: In Shinobi III, the final battle with the Shadow Master starts off on equal footing as he uses shuriken and katana against Joe. Then when he takes enough damage, he calls down a beam of energy to power himself up with a corona of fire — at which point he starts firing energy bolts from his palms, hurls a huge Energy Ball, counters Joe's dive kick with a Shoryuken and sometimes unleashes his own Ninjitsu technique to spray the entire chamber with energy bolts.

* Crosshair Aware: In the WombLevel section of Round 3, the grotesque Hydra will surface in the background and a computerized targeting reticle will slowly drift towards Joe. Let it get too close and it locks on to him before the Hydra unleashes its laser breath. Blocking the Hydra's line of sight to Joe will temporarily disable the targeting system as the Hydra submerges and waits for him to be visible again.

* Flechette Storm: The Ninja Master in Shinobi III gained a flechette spray attack launched with a flick of his kabuki wig.

* Rule of Cool:

* Womb Level: The second half of level 3 in Shinobi III.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Yep, the fourth stage boss is [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} Mechagodzilla]].

''Sometimes he hides in mud. Other times he transforms his shape like an ever changing cloud

[[redirect:VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}]]